What this game *really* is:

[Natmus]

I got a message from Lyrypryl, where she still showed disappointment about the whole Federation/Morkin verbal skirmishes. No point going over that, but somewhere she asked me what kind of game we were playing, and I couldn't help telling her what kind of game I think this *really* is.

Feel free to read it as well, and comment on it.

I just read your message, and to some extent I understand you. However, the whole focus of the game has shifted for me since that message, or perhaps I understand more now than I did then.

The new angle I see IK from, is that it's not a 'war game' any longer, but most of all it's a social game. A game of human behaviour, if you will, or of human sociology rather.

In a way you can break the game into especially male dominance. A lot of male players try to become dominant by building armies and scraping lots of isles together. The most successfull become leaders of alliances where they wield great power, and in effect become alpha males. People like Freedom, Raul and TheEarl to name a few. They are dominat forces, and a lot of other males have chosen to just follow their lead. A few almost successfull males have become trusted lieutenants of the Alphas, they are in effect beta males. Someone like [deleted] could fit that bill, as he still is protected by TheEarl he is not quite an alpha male in this game.

But to cut a long analysis short, there is a hierachi in this game, with the strong dominating the weak. Weak players have the chance to join one of the big alliances as a common member, and thus accept a low place in the hierachi but gain relative security.
The alpha males show how dominant they are by protecting single players or whole alliances, or gathering alliances of 'personal armies'.
All very basic "The Naked Ape" stuff, and I guess that why some players become addicted to it. It allows tham a second kind of social interaction, probably one better than their normal real-life social standing.

But look at what's happening.
With the restrictions in new oceans and isles, the competition has become more fierce, and thus security has become more important, and this is why the mega alliances (Commonwealth, Firefox and LSD) has risen. Smaller players with colonies are increasingly at risk, unless they join one of the big groupings that offer protection.
It's again typical ape behaivour: when the resources get less, it's time to grow or die: Right now the first 20 people are looking for colony isles owned by small player not protected by some alpha male they don't want to challenge. Whenever the alpha males are dragged into a minor fight they usually have the power to destroy one of the fighters, or they can set the terms for peace and expect that these terms are followed.

As we in Morkin pretty much see ourselves as alpha males each and every one of us, we would never join a bigger group. In the F&S and R|M alliances we have found people roughly the same as us, and we can respect them, so we have pacts with them, and that's about all. But we are still a pretty egalitarian bunch inside the group, without any strict hierachy.

You as a female has probably seen the game from another side, as there are fewer females than males in this game. Sheldon Perry, pretending to be DarkLady, rather easily managed to get a lot of protectors by playing the flirtatious female, as a lot of alpha and beta males get extra prestige by having a harem of females as their special friends and proteges. You saw how much more interested fearless got when he learned you are female, back when you were attacked by quaff.
Very basic male behaviour, and I enjoy analysing IK from that angle these days.

Feel free to comment on this idea

You too. Everybody comment on this. Am I on to something here?

[soiram]

There is some point to the above. I think that the game was a "war" game in the beginning. It required some kind of committment and basic "strategy" to get up to pace and then it allowed for some "smarter than normal" moves.

This disintegrates rather fast and the game requires other skills to a) keep being interesting rather than routine and b) survive under tough competition from big fish.

For the last 2 months I have too much work to be able to actively participate in diplomatic endeavours, espionage intrigues etc by extensively contacting other people and talking them into things, and the game has since become ever so boring. I really am waiting for solstice, as I do not see any spare time in the foreseable future for me to get more actively involved, so I will definitely be quitting by the 21st, either by participating in a common suicide attack, or by hitting one of my personal "enemies" and donating my stuff to friends.

I think it's a rather unfair game, taking into account the ethics of 16 year old players, which requires more "average intelligence" to make it interesting.

All in all, I don't know if we can classify it as a war or social game, but I think the way you play it affects the fun to be had by it.

[inyati]

uga booga

[ashimar]

It's a good theory I think.

Especially since the game itself (from a gamemechanic point of view) is rather simplistic and doesn't require nor offer much (as Colm put it at one time: "it all boils down to an equation: build spears, create ships, increase statue" and repeat that ad infinitum), the politics created and played out by the human participants are all that complicates the game, infuriates us or makes us revell in it.

Alpha males, wolfpack, competition, protection, vying for females, it all seems highly likely. Perhaps it IS a sociology experiment...

Oook Oook !

[Arminius]

Earlier today I posted something on the travian forum (the game-wide one) about educational aspects of playing Travian.

In a way there are many similarities between the games, as someone here (Mads?) said, "it brings out the worst in people". Bullies reign, and the same goes for IK, up to a point. And smaller players can get together, but ultimately have no chance against a big bully and his "m8s".

Now where's the positive role model for those spotty teenagers? They play the game, learn that the strong dominates the weak, they switch on the telly, by accident watch the news and see the same happening on an international scale.

What effect will that have on those people? Will they all grow up to be bullies? Taking stuff from weaker people?

It's almost too scary to think about it. And this is where it's no longer a 'game', but another arena for human interaction. That's why we mostly get on with older and mature players, because they behave in a decent way, as they have experience of REAL life.

[Freiegeister]

I think William Golding had it right.

[mmupatton]

Took me a second to get that one. Probably.

I do believe I would act differently if this was Real Life (tm). Maybe others would too. Sheldon probably wouldn't - he would probably still be going into bars in drag

[andre]

Touché... ;D!
We're living in the ice age...

[SkulkrinBait]

This thread reminds me of this:

'No!' cried Gandalf, springing to his feet. 'With that power I should have power too great and terrible. And over me the Ring would gain a power still greater and more deadly.' His eyes flashed and his face was lit as by a fire within. 'Do not tempt me! For I do not wish to become like the Dark Lord himself. Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good. Do not tempt me! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe, unused. The wish to wield it would be too
great, for my strength. I shall have such need of it. Great perils lie before me.'

The Ring is of course Inselkampf, maybe I'm just deranged!

[mmupatton]

What this game is: Well, any economics majors around?

It is fun to watch Game Theory in action; especially when you look at the reactions of the other players. The only participate as long as there is a direct benifit for them, once the going gets tough they stay out of trouble. That's why big alliances in IK doesn't mean anything.

We, in PWS, decided to play differently - or to cash in in another currency And everytime a joker like Matt attacks me, and loses a lot of men, it's costing him ressources to build it up again. While I don't care, the loses inflicted on me in effect costs me nothing.

Notice how stable IK is. That's because no-one is willing to risk anything for a higher cause. The little ones gets bullied and the big ones protect their own. All economics...

[Natmus]

I agree. It can be seen in that light as well. Most players try to be 'going concerns', which means they have to consider both short and long time survival. Preserving one's armies these days must be a paramount concern, because it is known that some isles has been building armies constantly, without using them, for a long time. So every fleet we wipe out or damage effectively removes the owner's isle for military importance for a long time, and that player is more at risk.

The question is, who can see the profit in attacking a colony isle with 1500 spears defending it? How long before the profit of that isle outweighs the costs of taking it? What time do you have to cover your losses?

[mmupatton]

... which in the end will make the game unplayable; no one dares do anything because it would put them at risk. Then someone decides enough is enough and attacks just for the heck of it.

Thanks, I had forgotten about the 'going concern' term.

[soiram]

... and this is what makes it so boring. One can only take this much of building and upgrading...

[mmupatton]

Exactly - which is also a point in MMU: If you end up in a game where you have to rely on citadels producing troops for you, you know it's going to be a boring game...

I prefer the tactical side of these games, rather than the longterm strategical side.

Why did I like C&C / Warcraft and the lot? Probably because the buildup was for a war...

[ashimar]

I agree. I remember when Freedom finally came to see wether it was worth his while to attack Colmfinito's isles he spend no less than 4 SWs per isle to ascertain the situation. Whenever he saw A) no high statue (keep 'm all at level 1), B) a fleet mysteriously missing so out at sea and therefore an unknown factor and C) more than 2500 spearfighters he immediately lost interest. As this was the best opportunity ever to spy in turn on him (in any other situation you get fired upon, right ?) Colm noticed he had similar defenses but higher statue levels and obviously more ships and cats.

He plainly stated -when teased by Colm- that it would yield too little for the expenses he would have to make in obtaining it. A very cool customer that Freedom. I think he's somoene we call, figuratively speaking: "thrown or lifted OVER the steed"

But on the other hand, because some get indeed so very bored and have enormous amounts of stuff they can afford to throw a little party, like some of those Wraith and Firefox boys.