Game board apparatus

Claim 2

Game board apparatus comprising: a. a board having indicia thereon providing a course of travel extending from one or more starting points to one or more points of destination so that players can move player position markers about the board from a starting point to a point of destination; b. means representing the equivalent of money to be in the possession of each player; c. a plurality of articles symbolic of cargo having a predetermined value to be purchased with the money in the possession of the players; d. means for providing indications of a plurality of numerically different percentage markups in the value of the cargo and for associating a given percentage markup with each player who successfully moves his position marker to a point of destination with cargo in his possession but for preventing the amount of each percentage markup from being known to each player in advance of his reaching the point of destination; and e. a plurality of articles symbolic of armament having a predetermined value to be purchased with the money in the possession of the players for the purpose of enhancing each player''s ability to defend his cargo from loss enroute to a point of destination in proportion to the value of the armament in his possession, whereby each player must make a business decision as to the amount of money to invest in the possibility of making a percentage markup on his cargo as compared with the amount of money to spend to defend his investment against potential loss.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means for providing indications of percentage markups comprise means of chance for determining one of a plurality of possible percentage markups in the value of each player''s cargo.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the means of chance includes a set of cards one of which is to be drawn by each player reaching a point of destination to provide the player with the particular percentage markup in the value of his cargo.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 including means for providing indications of a plurality of numerically different percentage losses in the value of the cargo and for associating a given percentage loss with each player who successfully moves his position marker to a point of destination with cargo in his possession.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the articles representing cargo include indiCations of value independent of any specific location on the game board so that only the player''s purchasing power limits his ability to purchase cargo.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the articles symbolic of armament include indications of value independent of any specific location on the game board so that only the player''s purchasing power limits his ability to purchase armament.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the board includes indications symbolic of land masses on opposite sides of the board, and indications symbolic of one or more ports on each land mass; and further including means for associating the indications of percentage markups with the ports indicated on the board.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1 including an article symbolic of buried treasure and having an indication of value providing a substantial potential increase in the assets of a player who obtains the treasure, an article symbolic of a treasure map having information thereon for potentially allowing the player to obtain the treasure, and means on the board for providing indications to be used in conjunction with the information on the treasure map for allowing the player possessing the treasure map to obtain the buried treasure.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 8 including means for providing indications of a specific location on the board where a player is required to move before the treasure map can be obtained.

Claim 11

Game board apparatus comprising: a. a board having indications thereon representing land masses on opposite sides of the board, one or more ports on each land mass, and marked spaces between the land masses for providing a course of travel extending from a starting point at a port on one land mass to a point of destination at a port on the other land mass; b. a plurality of differently identified position markers symbolic of ships at sea to be moved by the players from a starting point to a point of destination; c. means representing the equivalent of money to be in the possession of each player; d. a plurality of articles symbolic of cargo having a predetermined value to be purchased with the money in the possession of the players; e. means of chance for providing indications of one of a plurality of numerically different percentage markups in the value of the cargo and for associating a given percentage markup with each player whose ship successfully moves to a point of destination with cargo in its possession but for preventing the amount of each percentage markup from being known to each player in advance of when his ship reaches the point of destination; f. a plurality of articles symbolic of armament having a predetermined value to be purchased with the money in the possession of the players for the purpose of enhancing each player''s ability to defend his cargo from loss enroute to a point of destination in proportion to the value of the armament in his possession; g. means for providing indications in certain spaces of the board symbolic of a net financial gain to a player whose ship lands on the space; and h. means for providing indications in certain spaces on the board symbolic of a net financial loss to a player whose ship lands on the space, whereby each player must make a business decision as to the amount of money to invest in the possibility of making a percentage markup in the value of his cargo as compared with the amount of money to spend to defend his investment against potential loss.

Claim 12

Game board apparatus comprising: a. a board having indications thereon representing land masses on opposite sides of the board, one or more ports on each land mass, and marked spaces between the land masses for providing a course of travel extending from a starting point at a port on one land mass to a point of destination at a port on the other land mass; b. a plurality of differently identified position markers symbolic of ships at sea to be moved by the players from a starting point to a point of destination; c. means representing the equivalent of money to be in the possession of each player; d. a plurality of articles symbolic of cargo having a predetermined value to be purchased with the money in the possession of the players; e. means of chance for providing indications of one of a plurality of numerically different percentage markups in the value of the cargo and for associating a given percentage markup with each player whose ship successfully moves to a point of destination with cargo in its possession but for preventing the amount of each percentage markup from being known to each player in advance of when his ship reaches the point of destination; f. a plurality of articles symbolic of armament having a predetermined value to be purchased with the money in the possession of the players for the purpose of enhancing each player''s ability to defend his cargo from loss enroute to a point of destination in proportion to the value of the armament in his possession; g. means for providing indications in certain spaces of the board symbolic of a net financial gain to a player whose ship lands on the space; and h. means for providing indications in certain spaces on the board symbolic of a net financial loss to a player whose ship lands on the space, whereby each player must make a business decision as to the amount of money to invest in the possibility of making a percentage markup in the value of his cargo as compared with the amount of money to spend to defend his investment against potential loss.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the means of chance includes a set of cards one of which is to be drawn by each player reaching a point of destination to provide the player with the particular percentage markup in the value of his cargo.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10 including means for providing indications of a plurality of numerically different percentage losses in the value of the cargo and for associating a given percentage loss with each player who successfully moveS his position marker to a point of destination with cargo in his possession.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the articles representing cargo include indications of value independent of any specific location on the game board so that only the player''s purchasing power limits his ability to purchase cargo.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13 in which the articles symbolic of armament include indications of value independent of any specific location on the game board so that only the player''s purchasing power limits his ability to purchase armament.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 10 including an article symbolic of buried treasure and having an indication of value providing a substantial potential increase in the assets of a player obtaining the treasure, an article symbolic of a treasure map having information thereon for potentially allowing the player to obtain the treasure, and means on the board for providing indications to be used in conjunction with the information on the treasure map for allowing the player possessing the treasure map to obtain the buried treasure.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 15 including means for providing indications of a specific location on the board where a player is required to move before the treasure map can be obtained.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the game board is marked with a matrix of areas so that, in a given move, a player has a choice of moving his ship in any one of several directions to thereby provide a relatively large number of possible encounters between the ships of competing players as they move about the matrix.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the board includes an indication of a geographical boundary line between the two land masses so each player''s ship must travel from a port on one land mass, across the boundary line, to a port on the opposite side of the board before the player can obtain a percentage markup in the value of the cargo in his possession.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 10 including means for designating certain players as the equivalent of pirates to distinguish them from the ships of players who are transporting cargo.