Ikariam v 0.5.9: New Structure - The Black Market

Ikariam version 0.5.9 was rolled out today and the newest structure introduced is the Black Market.

To be able to construct this new building, you have to research it first under Economy. It will cost you 56,000 research points.

After you have researched the building, you can now construct it on any vacant building slot. This might be problematic at this stage in Ikariam for any player since all building slots have been used by this point in time, especially by those gunning for a 12th town. It would have been nice if the Ikariam development team allowed for an extra building spot, in the same way they created one for the Pirate fortress.

If you do decide to tear down an existing structure and build the Black Market, then the following units should be available for sale, depending on the Black Market's level.

The Black Market is an alternative to simply dismissing units from an oversized army or navy in case you're burdened with their gold upkeep. Sometimes, players overproduce units in times of war, only to waste the material used in production once they dismiss their units.

If there is a demand for units in your area, then you could make a profit via this structure. But just like the trading post, player demand and activity will be important in the decision to add this building to your collection.

Other details of the version update can be found below. Enjoy!

0.5.9

01.10.2013

Feature - New building: Black Market The building has 25 levels and allows the sale of land and sea units for any resources. A requirement for the building is the new "Soldier Exchange" research and a building ground. The building levels unlock the unit types that can be sold, after one another. For every unit type there is a minimum and maximum price, to avoid overpricing or dumping prices. For every soldier exchange, one part of the sale price has to be deducted as tax. With increasing Black Market level, taxes are reduced. The offered troops can be viewed and accepted by other players in the new "Soldier Exchange" tab at their Trading Posts. You can also purchase troops that you haven`t researched yourself yet. No Black Market is required to buy troops. Soldier Exchange also does not need to have been researched for purchasing. Change - the effects of the Hades, Demeter, Athena, Ares and Colossus miracles have been strengthened. Change - the trading post view has been adjusted slightly. Bugfix - when entering a running battle, only the units in the battle overview that fought from entry are displayed. Bugfix - while the chat window was open, the breadcrumb bar could not be clicked on. Bugfix - military actions of an occupier do not prevent the deletion of an occupied town by the owner. Bugfix - allied stationed troops are not thrown out of the town anymore when the town owner comes to a garrison right agreement. Bugfix - in the battle reports, the maximum amount of walls was displayed instead of the actual amount. Bugfix - when purchasing goods at an own town, the loading time was incorrectly calculated. Bugfix - when accepting a trade offer, the loading time was not displayed. Bugfix - various display errors fixed.

Ikariam v 0.5.4 : Tower Ruin - Helios Tower

I only noticed the recent Ikariam update when I clicked on the island view. Below are the features and the changes made in the update.

• Feature - As of now, on every island there is a special building slot for a Helios Tower. All players can purchase this building for Ambrosia. The buyer can select from multiple options to determine the appearance of the tower. The building is persistent in the world and contains the name of the player (even after deletion). The building includes a set three-week bonus which increases the production of both resources on the island by 10% for all players that are on said island. Each player can extend the bonus by seven days using an Ambrosia payment. It can also be reactivated for this time frame, if it has already expired.
• Change - The storage capacity of the town hall has been increased to 2,500 per resource. Additionally, the amount of resources that can be transported when colonizing has also been increased to 2,500.

The image below is what the Tower Ruin looks like.

So, in exchange for ambrosia, the advantage would be resource bonus production - but this is shared by all players on the island - and an Ikariam imprint (which will exist even after the player's account has been deleted).

Ikariam Town News Filters

Although there hasn't been any recent Ikariam version released, a new feature has been subtly introduced today. I dub it the Town News Filters, similar to the way you may filter through your email messages.

Below is a screen shot.

As you can see, you can filter your town news messages based on the following categories:

• Military
• Goods Transport
• Production
• Espionage
• Diplomacy
• Piracy
• Ikariam Plus

Searching for that Military report is a little bit easier during times of war. Thanks Ikariam Team =)

Now, if only they would introduce town messages that inform you when your warehouse space has surpassed a certain amount, say 95% full or your town's wine supply is going below a certain amount, say 10,000 units. I bet those messages would be useful.

Ikariam Pirate Fortress Level 17 Capture Run Options

Finally completed upgrading the Pirate Fortress to level 17. Below is the list of all capture runs that can be done at this level.

You can check out my original post on the pirate fortress here.

Ikariam version 0.5.2

Ikariam has rolled out version 0.5.2 today. Now, it they have improved the gaming experience for iPad and other tablet users. They even changed the look of their main page. Check out Kyra holding an iPad.

0.5.2 15.10.2012
Feature - Layout adjustments for tablet devices

Posts I've Written on Ikariam

Below are some of the posts I've written on Ikariam:

• Ikariam version 0.5: Renaming a Town
• Ikariam Workshop Level For New Ships
• Ikariam: Can You Own 12 Towns?
• Ikariam v0.4.5 New Ships!!!

Ikariam version 0.5: Renaming a Town

Some players have been asking how to rename the town under the latest version. The process is pretty much unchanged. First, click on your town hall. You should see an image similar to the screen shot below.

You can then click on the rename button, just above the smiley face. You will then get a screen shot similar to the one below.

Type your new town name and then click on the button Apply town name. Done and done! ^_^

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Ikariam v 0.5.0 Animations

Ikariam version 0.5.0 has officially been launched today. Below is the list of changes that have been made to the game.

• New layout
  • The game interface now uses the entire size of the browser window and automatically resizes if the window size is changed.
  • The world map, island map and town screens have been redesigned and now have a higher resolution. The `left menus` on the main screen have been replaced by new elements: the navigation elements on the world map are now located at the bottom of the screen and can be faded in and out by clicking on the control cross in the middle of it. On the island screen you can navigate to another island by entering the coordinates using a similarly redesigned menu. On the left-hand side of the screen on the town screen you can now reach the `Troops in the town`, `Premium-Trader`, `Dummy packages`, `Building construction list`, `Dismiss units` and `Espionage` (in other towns with your spies) screens.
  • The minimum resolution display of Ikariam (1024x768 pixels) remains the same as the old layout. However the islands and towns are now larger, meaning that sometimes they may not be completely visible. By dragging the mouse, each of the displays can be moved so that the non-visible sections can be seen. If this method is not possible, you can also use the directional control at the bottom of the screen.
  • The buildings and many elements of the main screen have been redrawn and adapted to suit the new layout.
  • Some screens have been optimised or slightly reorganised for the new layout. This includes the trading port, museum, trading post, diplomacy advisor and the help.
• Feature - troops and ships can now be dismissed in all of your own towns, independent of whether there is a barracks or shipyard there or not.
• New design for the research advisor
  • The design for the research advisor has been overhauled. You can now better see which research has already been completed and which are still waiting to be researched.
  • With the reconstruction, the Library will be rendered obsolete and will be removed. The tutorial will be adapted accordingly.
• Feature - ally towns, occupied towns, towns with occupied ports and towns, where you have a garrison right can now be `entered` much like your own towns or towns that you spied on. These towns can be recognised by a green arrow next to the town name.
• Help redesigned
  • The menu guide and the chapter order within the help have been reordered.
  • The chapters `First Steps` and `Building, Building Material and Population` have been combined, several others have been renamed.
  • Some content errors have been corrected.
• Animations
  • Alongside the whales and dolphins on the world map there are now a multitude of further animations.
  • If the performance of your computer or the internet connection is not sufficient for them, the animations can be turned off in the game options.
• New building spaces in the towns
• In every town there are now two new building slots, on which all land-based buildings can be constructed. They will be immediately available in every town and do not need to be researched or acquired in any other way beforehand.

Looking for the new animations is like treasure hunting at this point in time. Animations I've spotted so far are:

Town View Animations

• Flock of birds flying
• Town Hall flag flowing in the wind
• Lumberjacks and carpenters moving about while a building is under construction
• Waterfall near the Trading Port and Shipyard
• Trading Port crane loading crates on a ship when sending goods from one town to another
• Dolphins jumping out of the ocean

Island View Animations

• Lumberjacks sawing wood at the Forest on an Island View
• Farmers tending to the vineyard on a Wine Island View
• Miners hammering away at the quarries on a Marble Island View
• A miner going back and forth in and out of the crystal mine, placing crystals on a cart, on a Crystal Island View
• A miner going back and forth in and out of the sulfur pit, placing sulfur on a cart, on a Sulfur Island View
• Barbarian waving his axe on an Island View
• Flags on top of towns and vacant locations flowing in the wind on an Island View
• Guy bouncing a beach ball while two other people are sunbathing on floaters and two are under a beach umbrella

World View Animations

• Whales jumping out of the water on the World View

I hope there are more hidden animations and that the developers will create new ones from time to time.

It is also disappointing that Kyra has relinquished her role to her husband, the original town adviser. I think she was better suited for the job.

Some of the hot keys you can use under the new version include

• ESC to close those annoying pop-up windows
• Ctrl and + key to re-size the screen so that things are bigger
• Ctrl and - key to re-size the screen so that things are smaller (ideal for those used to having the whole town in view)

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Ikariam: Kyra, the New Town Adviser

After several years of service, Ikariam's town adviser has been replaced. Look at the picture of the new town adviser.

Why was the old town advised replaced. Kyra, the new town adviser is actually his wife and her explanation is as follows.

Its about time that the advisers got a face lift and it is also nice to have a female presence among them. It is also great to have a name to call at least one of the advisers. I always thought of them as either the Military Guy, the Scientist, the Diplomat, and the one which looks like Caesar (because of the olive branches).

Why has Ikariam done this? Is it in preparation for April Fools Day, or will Kyra hold the town adviser position permanently? Will the old town adviser have some other post to fill up once the new town and island designs are implemented? If so, then this must also mean that the changes to Ikariam's layouts might be implemented soon, and about time too. 

What do you think? Should Ikariam retain Kyra as town adviser or should they bring back the old one? Why not comment below in the following format.

Should Kyra remain as town adviser? (Yes/No)

Reason? Sample: I think she's a fresh change for the game

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Ikariam Workshop Level For New Ships

Wondering what workshop level is required for upgrading all your new ships' weapons and armor?

You should be able to access all these upgrades at a workshop level of 26.

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Ikariam: Can You Own 12 Towns?

To answer this question, let us look at the amount of building material (wood, can be abbreviated as B.M., but lets just refer to it as wood) required for a level 11 Palace, needed to create 12 towns. The amount of wood needed for a level 11 Palace is 2,561,499. This amount already takes into account that one building space is allotted for a Carpenter's Workshop at a maximum level of 32, providing a 33% cost reduction.

If the Carpenter's Workshop were not present, then the amount of building material needed would be 3,823,133. There are 11 building spaces in a town. The Palace has to take one space, leaving us with 10 spaces to work with. A Warehouse has a capacity of 8000 wood per level. If only Warehouses are constructed, and if 10 Warehouses were possible, here is what an analysis of the maximum wood capacity for the town would look like.

	Capacity/level	Levels	Number	Max Capacity
Warehouse	8000	40	10	3200000
Town Hall	1500			1500
Total				3201500

Clearly, 3,201,500 is less than 3,823,133 and a 12th town is not possible under these conditions.

So let's look at the scenario where a Carpenter's Workshop is utilized. The wood requirement is reduced to 2,561,499. But we take away one building space for a warehouse.

	Capacity/level	Levels	Number	Max Capacity
Warehouse	8000	40	9	2880000
Townhall	1500			1500
Total				2881500

Clearly, 2,881,500 is greater than 2,561,499 and a 12th town would have been possible under these conditions. But as of this writing, Ikariam has limited the number of Warehouses to a maximum of 4 per town. You can check here. So even under this scenario, a 12th town is not possible.

But to compensate for the maximum warehouse limit per town, Ikariam introduced the Dump which has a capacity of 32,000 wood per level. If we assume a maximum level of 40 for the Dump, then

	Capacity/level	Levels	Number	Max Capacity
Warehouse	8000	40	4	1280000
Dump	32000	40	1	1280000
Townhall	1500			1500
Total				2561500

And 2,561,500 just barely exceeds 2,561,499. So under this scenario, a 12th town is possible. And proving this is my current goal.

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Ikariam Island with Multiple Resources

Having played Ikariam for a long time, I've wondered why the developers have never incorporated islands with multiple resources in the game. Perhaps it will make the game more complicated to program, but in my opinion, it will also increase the amount of interaction in the game, especially when players start to jockey for the best islands. If I were a developer, then the new island options would be as follows.

Island with 2 resource combinations:

• Wine - Crystal
• Wine - Sulfur
• Wine - Marble
• Marble - Sulfur
• Marble - Crystal
• Sulfur - Crystal

Island with 3 resource combinations:

• Wine - Crystal - Sulfur
• Wine - Crystal - Marble
• Wine - Sulfur - Marble
• Sulfur - Crystal - Marble

Island with 4 resource combination:

• Wine - Sulfur - Marble - Crystal

The 4 resource combination island would probably be fought for frequently by alliances. I also think that the 3-resource combination of Wine - Sulfur - Marble would be the next most valuable island. Players might even pay more ambrosia just to transfer their existing towns onto one of these islands.

I have excluded Lumber for brevity, but you can probably surmise how the combinations would increase if wood was included.

Wouldn't it be nice if Ikariam developers would be able to read this post and include this idea in Ikariam 2012. What do you readers think? ^_^

Ikariam Ships: Paddle Speedboat

The Paddle Speedboat's stats are listed below. Note that these are base stats and may still increase with Workshop upgrades.

You may click on the image for a larger view.

Click here to go back to Ikariam Ships.

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Ikariam Ships: Balloon Carrier

The Balloon Carrier's stats are listed below. Note that these are base stats and may still increase with Workshop upgrades.

You may click on the image for a larger view.

Click here to go back to Ikariam Ships.

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Ikariam Ships: Rocket Ship

The Rocket Ship's stats are listed below. Note that these are base stats and may still increase with Workshop upgrades.

You may click on the image for a larger view.

Click here to go back to Ikariam Ships.

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Ikariam Ships: Tender

The Tender's stats are listed below. Note that these are base stats and may still increase with Workshop upgrades.

You may click on the image for a larger view.

Click here to go back to Ikariam Ships.

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Ikariam v0.4.5 Sea Battle

Ikariam v0.4.5 New Ships!!!

Ikariam version 0.4.5 rolled out today. You can read about the added features below. But what I'm more interested in is the additional types of ship that you gain after doing the new researches.

Take a look at these beauties. (You can click on the image for a larger view)


If you want to see the details for each ship hit points, armor, etc., you can click on the links that follow.

• Balloon Carrier
• Paddle Speedboat
• Rocket Ship
• Tender 

And below is an image of the sea battlefield.

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Feature - smuggler contingent

• Players that have not researched bureaucracy can transport 8,000 goods in or out of an occupied town per day. The amount is valid per occupied per town and not per game account.
• If a town is occupied, it is not possible to transport goods out of the town over land without smuggling. Transport by sea is still possible.
• If a port is occupied, it is not possible to transport goods out of the town by sea. Transport over land is still possible.
• If a town and port is under foreign control, goods transportation without smuggling is not possible.

Feature - sea fight changes

• From now on sea fights also have similar unit types to ground fights. The additional ship types can be distributed between the close combat, long-range combat, flanks, first strike, carrier ship and carrier ship evasion slots. With this change similar tactics to the ground fights are available to you.
• Four new ship types are available for this: rocket ship, paddle speedboat, balloon carrier and tender. To build them, some new technologies will have to be researched.
• The values of already existing ship types have been partially changed. Buildings costs and upkeep have also been adjusted.

Feature - alliance forum extended

• The topics each receive a `last changed` field, in which the date and time is listed. Additionally, unread topics and threads are highlighted.
• When composing a new forum entry, the number of possible characters is displayed.

Feature - town relocation change

• If a relocation cannot be carried out, the reason is now displayed in a message box.

Feature - the town advisor now informs about the allocation of the daily bonus.

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Ikariam 2012 New Layouts

Check out the new Ikariam island map planned for 2012.


And below is the planned town layout. Pretty awsome!!!


You can click on either image for a bigger preview. Kudos to the Ikariam team. These pictures seem like good signs of things in store for players in months to come.

You can also click on the following links for even bigger images:

• Planned Island Layout
• Planned Town Layout

UPDATE: More pictures from the Ikariam Team. You can click on the images to enlarge.

You can read more  about these new pictures by clicking on http://board.en.ikariam.com/board1-ikariam-news/board2-game-news/100721-ikariam-2012-information-about-the-new-layout/

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Ikariam Port Defense

Prior to version 0.4, a single Ram Ship was considered crucial for defending a city against off-island attackers. Your opponent might send 160 ships full of land units, but as long as you have that single ram ship guarding your port, your city remains safe from pillaging.

But with version 0.4.4, it seems that a single Diving Boat should now be the preferred guardian for a city. Although it will take some time to research and also have higher upkeep, the diving boat has the advantage of not being destroyed in a sea battle as long as there are no other allied ships involved. That means that the diving boat has to be the only ship part of the sea battle against the opponent.

So during times of alliance conflict, all members should have at least a single diving boat in all their city ports. This can make it tough for your opponents since they always have to bring an attacking fleet with them aside from their pillaging land troops. And after they win the battle against that single diving boat, after 4 hours, they will have to deal with it again since the diving boat never dies (4 hours is the time it takes for scattered units to return to their city). Timing is essential in warfare and any delay allows you to ship out valuable resources or ship in reinforcements.

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