MERCHANT ADVENTURER VIDEO GAME MANUAL | TITLE SCREEN
How To
Entities
Pieces
Finance
Combat

I
The goal of the game is to acquire wealth. This can be done through trading, investing, conquest, piracy, and governmental manipulation. You can choose which of these strategies to pursue and which not to, and change that at any point of the game. Only wealth that your family attains can contribute directly to your score, but controlling wealth elsewhere can help you achieve strategies to funnel wealth toward your family or to keep wealth from others.

II
When you first join a new game you will be assigned a random home state and letter A-Z. Your family will be displayed by letter and state. Example: M of Florence. This will not change throughout the duration of the game. You could end up sharing your state with up to 25 additional players. Your family will always be displayed on the main screen, if you click it you will enter the map as your family. If you create an association or acquire governmental power of a state or civilization they will also be displayed on the main screen, and you will be able to enter the map with the same process of clicking on their name.

III
After entering the map as your family you may be able to take loans from the moneylenders, invest in shares and bonds, gain influence in a state, or attempt to take control of a civilization. In order to control anything on the map you will need to be in control of at least 1 association, state, or civilization. Usually players will start an association as this is generally the easiest way to control pieces on the map. If you choose this option you can go back to the main screen and enter the map as your association. Your association will be titled after your family name and state along with a descriptive word. Example: G Ventures of Genoa. Keep in mind that this is not always the best option depending on the economy and situation.

IV
After entering the map as an association, state, or civilization you may be able to purchase and control pieces. The cost of a piece depends on the price of goods at the location. You may not always have the funds to get your association off the ground even with a loan from the moneylenders. In this instance you will need to sell shares or bonds to other players in hopes of securing enough capital. If you assess the situation and determine that starting an association will be too difficult it may be better to start out investing or trying to take political power in a state or civilization.

V
The map is composed of hexagon tiles that pieces can move on to. A tile will only hold a single piece unless it has a piece that can hold other pieces. Black tiles are undiscovered, when moving into them there is a chance that your piece will be destroyed by a storm.

VI
The large map can be accessed by pressing the zoom button next to the regular map. This map can be viewed freely but will not display moveable pieces. On the large map, states will fly the flag of the state that is sovereign over them as well as the flag of the empire they are part of if applicable. Pressing the zoom button again will take you back to the regular map.

VII
Trade is often the best way to generate coins. To do this purchase goods at one location with a watercraft or wagon and sell them at another. Each state, satellite, colony, village, city, and settlement offer a specific type of good and demand other goods depending on their region. The economies of these localities can be accessed by clicking on the brown market button while you have a piece at them.

VIII
There is a small chance that plagues will occur during trade. Plagues can also be spread through infected pieces. There is a high mortality rate for plagues, but pieces that survive will be immune from any future pestilence. New pieces from areas that have acquired immunity will have a high chance of being immune. New localities have a chance of being immune if founded by an immune piece.