An Alternate Way

Everybody wants to win.  The nicest thing about Illy is that "winning" is rather open ended with each of us getting to determine what "winning" means to us.  Maybe it's reaching 20 cities.  Maybe it's being the top magician, biggest trader, or leading the larges alliance.  Whatever it means to you, it means there must be a path by which you can get from that first tiny settlement to your own empire, and it must be a path that is reasonably available to all players.

In the discussions of land claims I've become more aware of how the military culture within Illy has become bland and unexciting.  I keep asking why people who wish to war just don't go to war, but alas, it appears they have little to no incentive to do so.  More the pity as if they wish to attract and keep new warriors they have to give them something to do....right?

So here I have two suggestions, either one of which will stimulate warfare and, according to some, better recruitment and retention of players.

First, if your alliance has more than 80 players, split it up.  Make 2 alliances out of it.  I know you didn't play for years and years to see your work "fall apart."  But on the other hand, why not take on a new challenge?  Split your alliances and put them on opposite sides...say a "Orange" and a "Green" side?  Get other alliances to do the same and then go to war.  Please! 

Somehow I do think that suggestion is going to fall on deaf ears.  Most large alliances are perfectly content to rest on their laurels and watch the world go by.  "Without a vision the people perish" I read somewhere.  Good leadership has vision and the best leadership has the willingness to sacrifice for that vision.

But if that's not to your liking, how about this.

How about having a central clearing place where you can be matched up with like minded warriors and we can arrange a bunch of "little wars" between you?  We could even have a tournament, with different alliance sizes and even players, going against each other.  All you have to do is say, "I want to make war and I have x cities" and then somebody would match you up against somebody else and you two could fight it out to your hearts content!  In fact, if you say you wish to war, you can!

Look, the real reason we don't have war is that we have no reason to have war...the large alliances have come to an agreement in Elgea, and TBL hasn't developed enough yet (though it's getting there).  Those of you who wish to make Illy grow and to keep new players, should embrace both of these suggestions.

Who wants to be "orange" and who wants to be "green?"

AJ