Table of Contents
Choosing the right server is one of the most consequential decisions you will make in Ikariam. It determines your starting conditions, the strength of your competition, and the overall experience of your journey. This guide provides a comprehensive strategy for selecting a server and navigating its unique ecosystem.
Choosing the Right Server
The age and type of server you choose will dramatically shape your early and mid-game experience. Your choice depends on your goals, experience level, and the time you are willing to invest .
Evaluating Server Age
The age of a server is the most critical factor for a new or returning player.
| Server Type | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| New Servers | Balanced starting conditions; everyone begins at zero; fair competition in the early months; opportunities for rapid power building . | Lower island production levels make early resource gathering slower; fewer established players and alliances . |
| Old Servers | Established communities; higher island production levels; mature economies . | Risk of being an easy target for veteran players; good island plots may be fully occupied; difficult to compete with accounts that have years of development . |
| Merged Servers | Higher player populations; lively worlds with active players; all cities, troops, and resources are preserved during the merge . | Accounts from multiple established servers merge, often creating a high concentration of veteran players; extremely difficult for a new player to compete . |
Recommendation: For a new player or a returning player starting from zero, a new server offers the most balanced and enjoyable experience . If you are a veteran, an older or merged server may be worth the risk for the established economy and community .
Specialised Server Types
Beyond standard servers, you may encounter specialised variants.
- Speed Servers: These have accelerated build times and game speed for faster progression. They require frequent play and quick actions, making them suitable for players with a lot of daily time. They are generally not recommended for those wanting a slow, methodical build .
- Themed Servers: Some servers feature specific bonuses, such as increased sulphur production and troop training speed (War servers) or boosted wine and wood production. Consider a server with bonuses that align with your preferred playstyle .
Understanding Server Population
The number of active players on a server directly affects resource availability, competition for island plots, and the intensity of conflicts.
- Low Population: An ideal number is around 1,000 to 1,500 active players. This provides a good balance of competition and resource availability .
- High Population: Servers with over 4,000 players can become extremely crowded, making it difficult to secure good island spots and carry out large-scale operations .
- Highly Competitive Servers: Some servers, like Perseus and Ares, are notorious for their high-intensity PvP environments and are not recommended for players seeking a more relaxed experience .
Navigation and Relocation
Your starting location is not permanent. You can move your empire, but the process requires strategy and, in some cases, premium currency.
The Relocation Strategy
For any player, especially free-to-play, strategically relocating your capital to the centre of the map (around coordinates 50:50) is a powerful early move . Central islands are better developed with higher-level mines and quarries, leading to faster growth. A central position also facilitates trade in all directions. The relocation process involves:
- Researching the necessary technologies.
- Founding a colony on a desirable island near the centre.
- Building a Governor’s Residence and declaring it your new capital.
- Demolishing your original city and shipping the recovered resources to the new capital.
Official Server Transfer
For a fee of 700 Ambrosia, you can purchase an Account Transfer item to move your entire account to another server . Important considerations include:
- Your cities will be placed at the same coordinates on the new server. Scouting the target server beforehand is crucial to ensure your preferred island spots are not already occupied .
- You cannot transfer to a server where your account would rank in the top 50 of the high score list .
- All your island donations (wood and gold invested in mines and mills) will be lost on the target server. This is a significant drawback for established players with high donation levels .
The Graveyard (Ghosting) Strategy
An advanced, albeit time-consuming, method of “transferring” your account is the Graveyard system . If you do not log in for approximately 45 days, your account is moved to the Graveyard.
Advantage: When you choose to return to the game from the Graveyard, all your previous island donations are returned to your inventory as wood items . This allows you to effectively double your investment by re-donating the wood, or use it to build on a different server. This is an advanced strategy used by some veteran players to significantly boost their island production .
Disadvantages: This process can take over a month. Your island plots on your original server will be lost and can be taken by other players. The strategy is not recommended for active players who do not want to lose progress for that long .
Server-Specific Tactics
Once you have chosen a server, you must adapt your strategy to its unique environment.
Adapting to Your Server’s Meta
The “meta” or dominant playstyle of your server will influence your strategy.
- PvP-Focused Servers: On highly competitive servers, an aggressive strategy is often necessary for survival and growth. This involves a strong military focus, proxy colonies for rapid attacks, and active alliance coordination .
- PvE-Focused Servers: On more peaceful servers, an economic strategy is viable. This involves building a powerful trade empire, manipulating the local market (with caution to avoid the pushing rule), and focusing on maxing out your resource reduction buildings .
Alliance Dynamics
Joining an alliance is often essential, especially on PvP-oriented servers. A good alliance provides protection, trade opportunities, and strategic coordination . On merged servers, powerful alliances may form large coalitions to maintain the peace or dominate the server .
The Power of Persistence
Server strategies can be long-term. A determined player can overcome a hostile server environment through sheer persistence, strategic adaptation, and patience. Tactics include using passive defence (high-level warehouses, walls), online harassment, and making yourself an unprofitable target . As one player stated, “I was in your shoes. It took me two years to beat that player by becoming worse than him” . This highlights the long-term, strategic nature of the game where a strong, consistent approach can eventually win out .
Choosing the right server is the first step on the path to building a powerful empire. Whether you opt for the balanced start of a new server, the established economies of an old one, or the strategic challenges of a merged world, understanding your environment is key to adapting your strategy and achieving long-term success.
