Ikariam: Difference between revisions

'''''Ikariam''''' is a [[browser game|browser-based]] [[massively multiplayer online game]] of the [[strategy video game|strategy]] genre produced and maintained by [[Germany|German]]-based [[Gameforge|Gameforge AG]]. The game is set in the era of [[classical Greece]] in an archipelago, with players being made ruler of a small town, which they must expand and lead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/924/924131p1.html|title=Ikariam Live View|author=Aihoshi, Richard|publisher=[[RPG Vault]]|date=2008-10-28|accessdateaccess-date=2009-02-11|url-status=dead|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221084351/http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/924/924131p1.html|archivedatearchive-date=2009-02-21|df=}}</ref> ''Ikariam'' has received generally positive reviews.<ref>

{{cite web|url=http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/p35802.htm|title=Ikariam Preview|author=Lafferty, Michael|publisher=GameZone|date=2008-07-25|accessdateaccess-date=2009-02-11|url-status=dead|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215134637/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/p35802.htm|archivedatearchive-date=2009-02-15|df=}}

''Ikariam'' has been compared to the ''[[Civilization (series)|Civilization]]'' series created by [[Sid Meier]]<ref name="overview">{{cite web| url = http://www.worldsinmotion.biz/2008/08/online_world_atlas_ikariam_pt.php| title = Online World Atlas: Ikariam -- Pt. 1, Overview| author = K., Matthew| publisher = [[Gamasutra|Worlds in Motion]]| date = 2008-08-13| accessdateaccess-date = 2009-02-16}}</ref> and to the ''[[Travian]]'' series.<ref name="Ikariam vs. Travian">{{cite web| url = http://games.bbgsite.com/content/2009-02-10/20090210014628764.shtml| title = Ikariam VS. Travian| author = jakcylike, a bbgforum member| publisher = [[BBGsite.com]]| date = 2008–2009| accessdateaccess-date = 2009-03-21| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090214204652/http://games.bbgsite.com/content/2009-02-10/20090210014628764.shtml| archive-date = 2009-02-14| url-status = dead}}</ref> The aim of the game is to expand the town which is controlled by the player, to gather resources and conquer or placate other players.<ref name="gamezebo">{{cite web| url = httphttps://www.gamezebo.com/features/mmosreviews/ikariam-review/| title = CasualIkariam MMOnday: IkariamReview| author = [[Erin Bell (journalist)|Bell, Erin]]| publisher = [[Gamezebo]]| date = 2009-01-21| accessdateaccess-date = 20092024-0207-1508}}</ref> The game can be played for short periods of time;<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/08/stories/2009020855291100.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090208180830/http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/08/stories/2009020855291100.htm| url-status = dead| archive-date = 2009-02-08| title = Seeing a game world in a browser window | author = Ranganathan, Shyam| publisherwork = [[The Hindu]]| date = 2009-02-08| accessdateaccess-date = 2009-02-16}}</ref> building and researching takes place in [[Real-time strategy|real time]] so the player can return later and assign the town's inhabitants new tasks.<ref name="gamezebo"/>

The town's inhabitants pay taxes to the player or can be sent to gather resources instead. The game world is split into islands, each of which can support up to 16 (or up to 17 if the player purchases ambrosia) players and their towns. Each island has its own saw mill for producing wood and one of the other buildings which produces a luxury resource.<ref name="in depth">{{cite web| url = http://www.worldsinmotion.biz/2008/08/online_world_atlas_ikariam_pt_1.php| title = Online World Atlas: Ikariam -- Pt. 2, In-Depth| author = K., Matthew| publisher = [[Gamasutra|Worlds in Motion]]| date = 2008-08-18| accessdateaccess-date = 2009-02-16| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090221103327/http://www.worldsinmotion.biz/2008/08/online_world_atlas_ikariam_pt_1.php| archive-date = 2009-02-21| url-status = dead}}</ref> There are five main types of resources: Wood, Wine, Marble, Crystal Glass and Sulphur. They are available from the Sawmill, Vineyard, Quarry, Crystal Mine and Sulphur Pit respectively. All these resources are required to progress in the game, making resource acquisition through conquest or trading mandatory.<ref name="tig">{{cite web| url = http://tigsource.com/articles/2008/03/31/ikariam| title = Ikariam| author = [[Derek Yu|Yu, Derek]]| publisher = TIGSource| date = 2008-03-31| accessdateaccess-date = 2009-02-16}}</ref> Each island's inhabitants may cooperate and donate building materials to improve the efficiency of their island's resource gathering facilities, which enables all local players to obtain resources more quickly. Failure to do so may result in hostilities between island inhabitants.<ref name="in depth"/> Players can communicate with island mates by using the [[agora]], a message board found on every island that can only be viewed by people with towns on that island.

''Ikariam'' is nominally free-to-play but players may opt to purchase in-game advantages via a [[Microtransaction#In MMORPGs|Microtransaction]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldsinmotion.biz/2008/08/online_world_atlas_ikariam_pt_2.php|title=Online World Atlas: Ikariam -- Pt. 3, Conclusion|author=K., Matthew|publisher=[[Gamasutra|Worlds in Motion]]|date=2008-08-19|accessdateaccess-date=2009-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221103335/http://www.worldsinmotion.biz/2008/08/online_world_atlas_ikariam_pt_2.php|archive-date=2009-02-21|url-status=dead}}</ref> system. This will give them access to a sixth resource, which can be used for Ikariam Plus, the premium version of Ikariam.

On building an Embassy, one can join or found an alliance. Alliances are groups of players who work together.<ref name="Ikariam vs. Travian" /> They will usually protect each other. If an alliance member is attacked by another player, the whole alliance, or stronger members in the alliance will intervene and will ward off the attacker. If you are the leader of the alliance, how many members you can have in your alliance depends on your embassy level. Also, you get a small amount of "bonus" resources each day, depending on the number of people in your alliance. An alliance has three jobs that can be assigned by the leader: the Diplomat, the General and the Home Secretary. The diplomat is responsible for making treaties, answering messages sent to the alliance, and editing the external alliance page which is viewable by all players. The General is responsible for overlooking all alliance members military movements, and has the ability to call off any attacks being made by alliance members. The Home Secretary is responsible for editing ranks within the alliance and editing the internal alliance page which is viewed only by the alliance members. Alliances frequently draw together people from all over the world who have similar interests and have been described as a game play element not found in other web browser games.

Several different game servers are available.<ref>http[https://en.ikariam.com/ Ikariam UK]</ref> Each of these servers represents a different game "world" with its own population of players and its own map of thousands of islands. Currently the English-language version of this game has nineteen servers, each given a Greek letter designation from Alpha to Omega and more recently Apollon, a reference to the Greek god Apollo. Older worlds such as Alpha and Beta tend to have higher-ranked players and more economic and military stability. Newer worlds represent more of a frontier experience with free-flowing alliances and warfare. One of the attractions of the game is for an experienced player on an older world to create a new account on a brand-new world in an effort to rise to the very top (frequently impossible in older worlds who have players that have been active for many years). Due to the nature of the game it is quite feasible to manage accounts on several worlds/servers.