Respect the rules of the game
Please read all the Ikariam game rules and make sure you understand them, especially the rules about Bashing, Pushing, Multi-Accounting, and Spam. Don't manage to get banned from Ikariam, that would be sad. If you have questions about any of the rules, contact any member of the staff. Remember that I didn't know and My brother did it are not acceptable excuses for the Game Operators.
Stay loyal to the alliance
You must stay loyal to The Olympians alliance. This is very important. If you leave the alliance without explicit permission from the Leader, you will become an enemy of OLY.
Protect yourself
Your town defenses should keep up with your general growth and wealth. Having a low military score will make you a target for pillagers. We expect you to be able to protect yourself and make wise choices when prioritizing your efforts. If your defenses are reasonable but the enemy is just too powerful, the alliance will be happy to help you. More details in the military section.
Donate to island resources
We hate leechers. We actively punish leechers. Don't be one!
You should donate to your island's resource mine and sawmill on a regular basis. Even if you have donated a lot in the past, you shouldn't stall, because some of your neighbours might notice. We suggest a minimum of 2-5% of your daily building material production to each island resource.
There are no excuses for leeching resources. If we cannot accept others to do it, we must not do it ourselves.
This rule is not specific to OLY. If you are leeching on an island, and your neighbours take military action, don't come asking for help. We will kick you and help them pillage you.
Trade honestly
Always repay your debts, and always make sure you send your shipments when trading resources for resources. If you have more points than the person you're cheating, then keeping resources is pushing, which is against the game rules and leads to account suspension (ban). If you have less points than the person whose resources you don't return, he may send troops to attack you and take back what you owe. We will not defend you in such case. You will be kicked and pillaged.
You are encouraged to use Circular Mail to announce your trade needs to the alliance. Be concise and specific. After agreement is reached, send another message to announce that, and avoid further messages. Do not send resources before agreement is reached. But don't delay shipments unless agreed with the trade partner beforehand.
Have fun
Ikariam is a game, and you should always keep that in mind. It's about having fun.
If somebody harasses you, sends you real-life threats, or uses foul language, you should report that behavior. There's a 'Report' button next to every message you receive. It usually leads to suspension of the account of the aggressor.
However, this works both ways. Give respect to receive it. Using foul language in the game leads to account suspension.
Teamwork
Helping your teammates - Defense
When an alliance member is under attack or when help is requested, and you are within a 5-island radius, you must prepare for immediate military action, and contact whoever is making the request, to get a military assignment. We're in a permanent state of military alert, as Ikariam is also a war game. We might ask you to send ships or even ground troops, so be ready. Next time, you could be the one requesting help.
Helping your teammates - Recovery
When an alliance member is under attack or when help is requested, and you are further than 5 islands away, you should contact whoever is making the request to check if resources are needed. For example, you could be asked to send a fleet to protect a town while its defenses are being rebuilt. Or a member could ask for your available sulfur for immediate trade against another resource.
Helping your teammates - Coaching
Once you reach 100,000 points, we expect you to know Ikariam pretty well and with your in-game experience, you should try to help other players actively, and perhaps share some of your resources. Involvement is never mandatory, but that's how you can make people happy while contributing to the alliance's overall success.
Keep your teammates informed
If you are in a specific situation such as on vacation, banned or if you're about to quit the game, please leave a message in the Olympian Forum. If you have been banned, we can perhaps help you in regaining access to your account. We've been there before.
Our Alliance Forum is located here. You should register to this forum, because we don't always send all the important information through in-game messaging. The link can also be found at the top of the page.
Military
Setting up your defense
The most likely reason you are a target for pillagers is your vulnerability. To reduce probability of being attacked, you should follow these guidelines.
Build a strong spy defense
Upgrade your hideout along with the town hall. Ideally, it should be at least the size of your town hall, if not taller. Keep at least 10 spies inside, working on defense.
If they can't inspect your troops and warehouses, they are unlikely to risk an attack that may prove costly.
Build an army
The relative size of your whole army is represented by your military score, which is visible in the Highscore tables. If you have a low military score, your spies are useless, because it doesn't matter if they cannot inspect the warehouses. A pillager may send troops to attack you just because he knows he will win, and have an off-chance to grab some loot.
In the early stages of the game, build 2-3 phalanxes and 1-2 swordsmen for each town hall level. After level 10, you can increase towards 5 phalanxes and 3 swordsmen per town hall level. That's because higher level town halls give you more room for citizens, which produce the gold needed to pay the troops.
Another essential ingredient are a few ships in your harbour. Anyone not on your island will have to send a fleet of warships first, to blockade your port. Warships are slower and this will buy you time to prepare for the attack.
As you complete researches, add more troops to your mix. Archers are a great complement to phalanxes on defense, and gunsmen are very good for firepower. A few doctors and cooks are also essential, as are a few rams in each town.
Build a wall
Upgrade your wall along with the town hall. Ideally, it should be at least the size of your town hall, if not taller. I know it costs a lot of resources, but it pays off on the long run. Think of the wall as a defense boost that only costs resources, but no gold. Instead of building twice as many troops, and pay twice the wages, build a level 10 wall.
Play nice
Be ready to face the consequences of your actions. If you are leeching, or are being disrespectful to the wrong people, or pillage someone from an alliance, you may become a target.
Pillaging
While we are still small, we should stick to pillaging leechers and inactives. When time comes, you can look for targets that don't fit our defense guidelines.
When we get new spawns on our islands, don't send your phalanxes first. We don't have milk and cookies, but we can find alternatives. Invite the new player to be a good neighbour. Give him a chance to grow. He may become a useful member of OLY, or a friendly neighbour and trade partner. If he needs correction, send one attack, not 6 per day. If you realize you cannot reason with him, feel free to pounce him into submission. Or inactivity. Or vacation.
