Ikariam

Ikariam
Studio	Gameforge
Publisher	Gameforge
Senior Developer	Sven Schaller
Erstveröffent- lichung	2008
platform	Web browser
genre	Browser game
control	Keyboard & mouse
language	38 languages
Age rating	USK

Ikariam is a browser game that was developed and operated by the Karlsruhe provider of online games Gameforge . Like other web-based online games, it is free and is largely financed through the purchase of virtual items through microtransactions .

Game principle and technology

General

Ikariam is set in a world that is roughly based on antiquity in its cultural development . The game world consists exclusively of islands of roughly the same size that are close to each other and form a regular pattern. Up to 17 players can settle on each island. At the beginning of the game the player is assigned a settlement place on a random island and can build a city on it.

Gameplay

As a browser game, Ikariam can be played in a web browser , no installation is necessary. It is a massively multiplayer online game , which means that numerous players play simultaneously in the same game world and act and communicate with one another. A game account must be created so that the player's progress can be saved.

Ikariam is a mixture of building game , business simulation and strategy game .

Building game

Five different resources can be mined in the game, two of which are available on each island. With the help of the raw materials, the player can erect buildings in his city that fulfill different functions. There are a total of 30 building types, but only 20 building sites per city. Buildings can be expanded with the help of raw materials; Different types of raw materials are required for higher expansion levels. With the help of raw materials, the player can research technologies to unlock building types that are not available from the start.

Economic simulation

In order to be able to build and expand all types of buildings, the player must either settle on other islands and mine their raw materials or trade with other players. Since no island can supply itself because of the different raw materials required, the player must set up a cycle of goods for himself in order to be able to maintain and expand his cities.

Strategy game

As an MMO, Ikariam is a game in which the player can compete against other players or play together with them.

The player can recruit military units for clashes. Recruitment and maintenance cost raw materials, and specialized units must first be researched using raw materials. Other players can be attacked with the units; the outcome of the battle is calculated by the computer based on the units deployed, and the attacked person automatically defends himself with all available units. Other players' cities cannot be captured, but they can be plundered or occupied. In the latter case, the cities captured in this way can be used by the victor as a bridgehead for further military options.

Players can form alliances and plan attacks or defenses together.

piracy

It is possible to carry out pirate trips by building a pirate fortress. These trips give you gold and so-called "kaper points". These points can be converted into more pirates by investing time, so that the crew strength of the pirate fortress increases. In addition to the pirate trips, cities that also have a pirate fortress can be attacked. If you have a better crew than the fortress of the attacked city, you will receive all unconverted pirate points of the defeated player.

The more unconverted kaper points a player has, the higher he rises in the "high score" ( German list of the best ). Whoever lands below the top 50 players in the high score at the end of the monthly cycle receives raw materials according to a fixed distribution key.

wonder

Each island has its own wonder. There are eight different miracles with their own ability, all of which are embodied by ancient Greek gods:

• Ares , the god of war , strengthens the morale of the troops
• Athena , goddess of cities and craftsmen , increases the number of non-lootable resources in the event of an attack
• Demeter , goddess of fertility , ensures greater population growth
• Hades , ruler of the underworld , causes fallen troops to be credited as marble
• Helios , the sun god , lets attacking enemiesreturn homethrough the Colossus
• Hephaestus , god of blacksmithing , improves armor and armament for troops
• Hermes , god of traveling merchants and traffic , accelerates the handling of goods in ports
• Poseidon , god of the sea , shortens the travel times of merchant and war ships

In order to be able to trigger miracles, the faith of the island population in the cities of the players on the island must be increased by priests.

Forms of rule

From version 0.4.4 you can determine a form of government as soon as you have the research "Formation of Government". Changing the form of rule costs 5000 gold for each city you own. Until the new form of rule is established, there is anarchy . This takes a certain amount of time (30 minutes times the number of cities you own).

Form of rule	advantages	disadvantage	Suitable for	requirement
anarchy	-	25% additional corruption in all cities All land units and warships will return home if they are stationed or on the move in foreign cities. If they are in combat, they are automatically scattered (exception: battles in own cities or ports). No unit movement possible No unit training possible No espionage missions possible	As soon as the anarchy phase is over, the new form of rule comes into effect.	-
Icacracy	-	-	Ikakratie is the standard form of rule in Ikariam. It is particularly suitable for versatile or indecisive island realms.	-
aristocracy	−20% construction time for buildings + 20% counter-espionage	+ 3% corruption in all cities except the capital	Aristocracy as a form of rule is particularly suitable for island empires with many building projects.	Code of honor
democracy	+75 happiness in all cities +1 research point per hour for each cultural property agreement issued	−20% counterintelligence + 5% construction time for land combat units	Democracy as a form of rule is particularly suitable for large, more peaceful island empires.	market
dictatorship	−2% upkeep costs for land combat units −2% upkeep costs for naval combat units −2% construction time for land combat units −2% construction time for naval combat units +2 additional merchant ships	−75 satisfaction in all cities	Dictatorship is a form of rule from which war-oriented island empires benefit in particular.	Government formation
Nomocracy	-5% corruption in all cities + 20% counter-espionage	+ 5% construction time for land combat units + 5% construction time for naval combat units + 50% loading times in own ports	Nomocracy as a form of rule is particularly suitable for rapidly growing island empires that need to consolidate.	legislation
oligarchy	+5 range of all offices + 10% speed for merchant ships −2% upkeep costs for naval combat units +2 additional merchant ships	+ 20% construction time for buildings + 3% corruption in all cities	Oligarchy as a form of rule is particularly suitable for trade-oriented island empires.	Government formation
technocracy	+ 5% research points + 20% productivity of unskilled workers	+1 gold cost per researcher	Technocracy is particularly suitable for inquisitive or over-productive island realms.	Experiments
theocracy	−20% wonder cooldown The happiness in cities with temples is increased by + 2 times the conversion rate. The maximum bonus is +150. +1 gold production per priest	-5% research points −20 happiness in all cities without a temple	Theocracy is a form of rule for island empires with many temples that like to enjoy miracles.	State religion

If the player's capital is ever occupied, the form of rule changes to xenocracy . However, it does this without revolution or cost. Xenocracy means that one only achieves half the effects of the advantages of one's actual form of rule. The same also applies to the effects of the disadvantages of the form of rule. As soon as the capital has been liberated, you regain the full effects of the advantages and disadvantages of your form of rule. It does this without revolution or cost.

technology

The 23 German servers are named after Greek letters. According to unofficial information, around 110,000 accounts were registered in all German servers at the end of August 2009. Since many players play in multiple servers, the number of actual players should be lower. By November 2010, the number of players had dropped to around 100,000 accounts.

In addition to the browser, Ikariam can also be played via apps that are available for iOS and Android . However, these offer a limited range of functions compared to the game in the browser.

financing

"Ambrosia" is a paid in-game currency that enables certain advantages over the course of the game, such as:

• Premium account, which provides a more detailed and complex game view and thus enables a better game view
• Resettlement of cities
• Relocate to other servers
• Increased resource extraction
• Automatic shipping of goods between cities (so-called trade routes )
• Speed ​​increase of merchant ships
• Increase in population
• Detailed search for cultural property agreements that increase satisfaction in cities
• Additional shipping options in the form of "free traders"
• An immediate exchange of raw materials at a ratio of 1: 1
• Populate an additional 17th colony place on an island
• additional donations to a sawmill
• Purchase of raw materials

Ambrosia can be purchased by credit card, PayPal , Giropay , but also anonymous payment methods such as SMS, phone calls or Paysafecard . Ambrosia offers clear advantages, but players who do not want to invest real money are not automatically disadvantaged. With a higher expenditure of time, such players are basically not inferior to "ambrosia players".

reception

In the "Online or Browser-Game" category of the BÄM! Computec Awards 2009, the game won first place. In 2009 Ikariam was awarded the German Computer Game Prize in the Best Browser Game category. In 2010 Ikariam was nominated for the German Developer Award. Ikariam won the player choice in the category Best Strategy Game at the Browser Game of the Year Award 2011 .

Web links

• Official website
• Unofficial wiki about the game

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Browsergames.de: Ikariam. Retrieved July 9, 2020 . 
2. ↑ Ikariam
3. ↑ Awards. (No longer available online.) In: corporate.gameforge.com. Gameforge , archived from the original on May 2, 2012 ; Retrieved May 3, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ MMOoftheYear.com: Ikariam. Retrieved June 26, 2017 .