The Beginner's Guide

Welcome to Ika riam
Ikariam is a web-based browser game by Gameforge. It allows you to create alliances, expand your empire, conscript large armies - all in real time. With hints of other nation-creation games, such as Age of Empires and Civilization, the purpose of Ikariam is to create a vast empire with a mighty military, either to enforce peace, or to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

Notice
Make sure to read the Terms and Conditions, as well as the Ikariam Game rules. Pay notice to pushing, and bashing, in the latter.

Basic Gameplay
You start on an island, which has your city and up to 16 others, a wood source, a miracle, and one of the four luxury resources.

Resources
Wood is used for every building, for every level.

Marble is used for all buildings, eventually, except for the Academy and the Temple.

Wine is consumed at the Tavern once you research Wine Culture. It is also used in the Governor’s Residence (GR) / Palace from levels 4 and higher. It can also be used to train cooks.

Crystal Glass is used for Academy and Temple expansion, for upgrading units and ships, as well as building Diving Boats, and training Doctors and Spies. After the research, Experiments, you can also use it to buy research points at a ratio of 2:1. It is also consumed in GR’s from level 5 and higher.

Sulphur is primarily used for building troops and ships, and for GR’s at levels 2 and up.

Luxury Resource Access
There is only one luxury resource per island. To access the other three, there are usually only 4 ways:
 * 1) Build a trading post and buy the other goods. The higher level, the further the trading radius. However, it is expensive, and often not effective for beginners.
 * 2) Barter with other people. It is usually less expensive, but there is a risk you will send goods and get nothing back.
 * 3) Pillage other cities.
 * 4) Colonize other islands. This ensures nigh permanent access to luxury resources, and thus is the best solution for most.

Island strategies
Marble - By far the easiest start. Fast building upgrade, except for the Academy.

Wine - Population growth. Easy to sell, for money to buy other resources.

Crystal - Research. Gets Academy up fast. Easiest to sell by far, trading 1:1 for other luxury resources is often no problem.

Sulphur - War. Dependent on pillaging from the beginning, and relatively easy to sell for other resources.

Buildings
There are many buildings that can be constructed in Ikariam.

Main
Town Hall - Shows population, satisfaction rate, income/costs, citizen distribution, scientists, and so on.

Trading Port - Buy a fleet of cargo ships for trade, raiding, and colonization. Also load goods for selling off, or sending to your colonies.

Academy - Houses scientists that give you research points.

Warehouse - Stores resources.

Palaces / GR’s - Enable you to make more colonies, and reduce corruption in said colonies.

Hideout - Allows you to make spies to conduct espionage and counter-espionage.

Resource Reduction
All resource reduction buildings reduce at 1% per level, made available after various researches.

Carpenter’s workshop decreases wood use.

Architect’s office decreases marble use.

Wine press decreases wine consumption.

Opticians decreases crystal use.

Firework test area reduces sulphur use.

Improved Resource Gathering
All improved resource gathering buildings increase at 2% per level. They are available to build after research.

Forester’s house increases wood production.

Stonemason increases marble production.

Winery increases wine production.

Glassblower increases crystal production.

Alchemist’s tower increases sulphur production.

Military buildings
The Town Wall provides basic protection from pillagers and occupiers.

Barracks produce units.

Shipyards produce warships.

The higher level, the faster they are produced, and the more types of units available.

Other
Taverns increase satisfaction by serving wine and existing.

Museums increase satisfaction through Cultural Treaties and existing.

Temples enable the use of miracles.

Researches
Researches advance your empire. There are four main paths: Seafaring, Economy, Science, and Military. Citizens in the Academy produce research points.

Beginner’s Guide

 * 1) Complete the Tutorial. This provides not only free resources, but also a decent understanding of the game.
 * 2) Rename your town.
 * 3) Click ‘Show Town’, near the top center.
 * 4) Click the building in the middle.
 * 5) Near the top, on the right hand side, click ‘rename’.
 * 6) Send citizens to the Sawmill.
 * 7) Click ‘Show Island’, near the top center.
 * 8) Find the building that looks like a cottage, with a blue flag.
 * 9) Click on it.
 * 10) Drag the bar to the desired amount of workers.
 * 11) Click ‘Confirm’.
 * 12) Remember, resources are created real time. 30 wood means 30 wood per hour, or 1 wood per 2 minutes.
 * 13) Build an Academy.
 * 14) Send citizens to the Academy.
 * 15) Click the building.
 * 16) Drag the bar to the desired amount of workers.
 * 17) Click ‘Confirm’.
 * 18) Remember, it is okay to be losing gold in the beginning.
 * 19) Research Well Digging.
 * 20) When 24 research points have been produced, click the Research man on the top, left hand side.
 * 21) Click the ‘research’ button next to Well Digging.
 * 22) Build a Barracks and a Trading Port.
 * 23) Barracks provide access to ground units for an army. Click a red flag to build it.
 * 24) Trading Ports provide access to buying a merchant fleet. Click on a blue flag to build it.
 * 25) Upgrade the Town Hall.
 * 26) Click on the building in the center.
 * 27) Click ‘upgrade’ on the left hand side.
 * 28) Each expansion of the town hall increases max population. The higher level the town hall, the more action points are available.
 * 29) Remember to research Wine Culture, and Expansion, as soon as possible.
 * 30) Taverns are fundamental to keeping satisfaction high.
 * 31) Your first colony is very important to self-sustainability.
 * 32) Upgrade your Town Wall.
 * 33) Walls grant a bonus to your army’s defense.
 * 34) Prevent pillaging.
 * 35) Upgrade your hideouts, and recruit spies.
 * 36) Build warehouses, to conserve goods.
 * 37) Preferably keep 1 war ship in each town’s harbour.
 * 38) Increase your military points.
 * 39) Keep track of various occupations on your island - attempt to free them.