POSSIBLE PATHS IN ILLYRIADSo,
you've got a decent start with your first city and are wondering what
to do next? There are lots of options open to you, and you will
need to pick the ones that best suit your playstyle and what you want to
achieve in the game. There are, however, a few pieces of wisdom we want to impart. WISDOM
LIES HEREIN- Work out who
your friends and enemies are
Even if
you don't plan to make player enemies, they may come and find you
first.
You can certainly play Illyriad as a solo, lone-wolf
player, but it will be more challenging to do so if (for whatever
reason) you fall foul of a multi-player alliance.
We're
not saying you have to join a player Alliance - though it can certainly
help protect you under their carefully negotiated peace treaties and
Non-Aggression Pacts (NAPs) - but at the very minimum you should
get to know your immediate neighbours and their plans.
This is,
after all, a MMO - and your wishes for a peaceful and harmonious
existence in the world might not be what you end up with.
If you do wish to apply to join an alliance, there's an Alliance Recruitment thread here.
- Specialisation versus Generalisation
There's
no doubt that a player that specialises early in one or two particular
fields will end up better at those things than a player who dabbles in
everything. There is, however, a balance in Illyriad's game design
whereby there are usually multiple ways of achieving the same ultimate
objective through different paths.
For example, you can choose
to build a Tanner and produce your own leather armour, or you can choose
to trade other resources for leather armour, or you can choose to run
quests that reward leather armour, or you can choose to steal leather
armour from other players, or you can choose to join an alliance that
might provide leather armour to new members... to name only a few
options for getting leather armour.
Bear in mind that your first
city is just that - your first city.
Maybe your
first city should be a generalised city and your second city can be your
military production powerhouse, your third city can be your
spell-casting city, your fourth city can be your diplomatic nexus etc.
It's
up to you, but think and plan ahead.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions
Illyriad
is a game with a lot of depth and a huge number of strategic options -
with more options being added weekly!
If you don't understand
something, search the forums for an answer and if you don't find it,
don't be afraid to ask.
There are many knowledgable people here
who will help you out, often before a GM gets a chance to answer!
WHAT TO DO NEXTBy
no means an exhaustive list, here are some suggestions for next steps. Whilst
you are under New Player Protection you will not need (or be able) to
build an army from day one. So set your tax rate to near zero -
which will give you up to 25% extra resource production. When you start
needing lots of Gold to pay military units and build things that require gold you can adjust the tax
rates accordingly.
If you've done the Tutorial,
you will have a caravan. Send that caravan out to the glowing, pulsing piles
of resources scattered randomly on the map and it will gather these for
you and bring them back - increasing your resource level substantially.
Be
aware, however, that if an Army is occupying the square you're going
towards, or if an Army arrives whilst you're gathering, then your
caravans may meet a sticky end.
You should also know that if another
caravan is there when you arrive, you will push this caravan off the
square - and the player you pushed off might not be thrilled by your
incursion.
However, gathering resources is a great way to get a
quick head start.
Specifically, make sure you
have a Vault built in your city before your New Player Protection
expires. Vaults protect a certain amount of resources from armed
raiders and thieves, and having a vault built before you are vulnerable
to the world outside is a prudent step.
The Vault requires the
City Technologies Timekeeping, Bureaucracy & Safeguard before it can
be built.
You might also think about building a City Wall to
further protect your city, but bear in mind that a City Wall only gives
bonuses to military defenders *present* in the city. So if you have no
troops, a City Wall provides no protection. Troops first, wall later.
Research the first
Military Technology, Militia, and build a Barracks.
Research
Spearmanship, which unlocks your first military unit.
Secure
a source of military equipment for your basic spearmen units (Spears
and, usually, Leather Armour) so you can build your basic military
units. If you produce your own military equipment you will probably
find that Livestock is one of your early resource bottlenecks, so it's
well worth keeping your Common Ground churning out Livestock.
Research
Command and promote a unit to be a Commander. Even if your army
is small, your commander will gain experience in every combat that he
participates in where enemy troops perish - and experience translates
into bonuses.
Read the Help threads Armies In Illyriad and Combat,
so you can adjust your strategy to the strengths of your race and your
needs.
Research the first
Diplomatic Technology, Negotiation, and build a Consulate.
Read
the Help thread on Diplomatic Missions.
Research Scouts
& Counter-Intelligence. When your Diplomatic Units are
at home, they act as defenders against hostile diplomatic missions of
the same type of unit.
Upgrade your Paddock (or trade for
the items) as all advanced Diplomatic units require Horses, and most
require Saddles and Books as well.
Continue upgrading your Consulate
and researching new technologies such as Espionage and Theft,
and use your units - forewarned is forearmed!
- The Production Powerhouse
Upgrade
your Lumberjacks, Clay Pits, Quarries, Iron Mines and Farmyards,
research new City Buildings, and keep upgrading your Storehouse and
Vault.
Soon enough you'll be churning out goods for your own use,
or for trading with other players for goods you cannot yet produce
yourself.
- City of Forbidden Secrets
Research
Arcana and build a Mage Tower.
Choose a school of
spells wisely, according to what you wish to do ingame, and research
it. You can learn an additional school of spells with a technology
unlocked every fifth level of your Mage Tower.
Research Timekeeping,
Bureaucracy & Bookbinding so you can build a Bookbinder.
Pretty much all spells require books to cast.
Spells are a great
way of supplementing your town's capabilities - and hindering your
enemies'.
Upgrade your Marketplace and
research new technologies such as Bartering and Trading that
enable you to carry additional types of resources in your trade
caravans.
Build caravans whenever you are able and keep up with your trade skills to increase your capacity. Ever level upgrade of the marketplace adds additional speed to your caravans. Even if
your caravans aren't carrying goods or offering trades on the offers
lists, you can send them out to gather resources from the map.
Spend
some time watching the trade offers list and working out what is in
demand, and what is not - and you'll soon be able to gather what you
need at a fair price.
Secure
a source of beer - either through trade or by research Brewing and
building a Brewery.
Research Bartending, build a Tavern
and then research the first Quest technology, Trade Contacts.
This
will allow you start some trade quests. Please note that you will need
a marketplace and available caravans to fulfil the requirements of the
quest.
Quests are a great way of swapping (and, in the process,
gaining additional) resources on one type for another - often more
advanced type.
There are many possible paths in
Illyriad - these are but a few starting suggestions - and you may wish
to run a hybrid strategy. Please don't hesitate to get in touch
with us via the forums if there's anything you're stuck on. Please
don't hesitate to report bugs or gameplay issues via the Petition
system, available ingame under the "Support" link in the ingame Options
menu. We wish you all the very best of luck in whatever you
choose to do, and hope you enjoy playing Illyriad as much as we enjoy
having you here. Best wishes, The GM and Dev team.
Edited by GM Stormcrow - 29 Mar 2011 at 15:34
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