What is the Stronghold (SH)?

The Stronghold is a region on the map that all FUN members will settle.

We have all started in the NW, but some of our members are pretty far away from each other. So, we have come up with a plan to make our villages much closer to each other.

We will ALL, without exceptions settle all of our villages (except the starting one) in the area designated for the SH. For now, it is a 40x40 area a bit far from the center of the map (it's approximately 200 fields away from the center, but the leadership still hasn't agreed on the specific location). So, let's make it clear: ALL the members of FUN alliance will settle ALL their villages in the SH, without exceptions.

Why do we do that?

Because, it will be incredibly easier to defend, when we are all close to each other. It will be easy to trade, to cooperate, and to organize offensive operations. The bottom line is that we will be virtually untouchable in the SH.

I want all the members to realize the importance of this project, and I want all the members to comment on it or ask any questions, so that it's all clear when the time comes to settle.

Simmy time!

There was once a time, several weeks ago where one little boy thought "screw the damn Stronghold, it's for pussies." That little boy was me. Regardless, I still believe that I hold true with that statement. However, a cognitive dissonant thought occurs simultaneously with the above statement.

First on the Agenda, and akin to our Plan A for the server, is "win the server" If anyone thinks a stronghold will not score higher on the ranking board at the end, you suck. Although a stronghold plan to migrate away from the reckless arena of ferocious warriors around the center of the map appears cowardly, it is still a strategy. How many people here can honestly say they'd rather fight a gigantic armored tank with their bare hands as opposed to using some sort of projectile weapon from afar? It's the same concept, you either fight head on, or from afar, it just strongly depends on your point of view.

Secondly, and I speak from experience, it gives newer members a form of nesting ground to learn how to play the game. New members to travian can easily learn how to play the game, especially when clustered around allies and when you attack, at least you will be next to someone experienced. The stronghold provides a web of trade and reinforcements, when being attacked, attackers are quite literally attacking the whole alliance's defensive force all at once as everyone can send both troops and crops easily.

Third, and quite possibly the last lateral point in my pro-SH discussion, is that your first village will not be neglected. You will still have fun with that village, you can still send raids, play diplomatic genius, and all the sub genre's of travian with your first village. It is only very late in the game that people will take your village, at that time, you most probably need a new slot in the Stronghold and it quite possibly could be the approximate time of "the beginning of war" for the Stronghold, meaning you'd much prefer an extra village in the stronghold either way. although yes, you almost definitely will lose your village in the end, it would not hold as much value to you then than it does now.

The Final, and most likely least obvious aspect of the Stronghold is the mental impact it provides us. We are a close alliance, we are all friend under this banner and we do hold true to each other's beliefs and thoughts. We do work as friends and cooperate, not for the sake of winning the game, but for the sake of friendship. We crack jokes at each other ,and we get along well with each other. We know about each other and we talk to each other, alot. How this is formed, I was never entirely sure. Perhaps our alliance members are the social kind, perhaps it was a select few who inspired social behaviour. Or perhaps, it was the Stronghold. It has been my hypothesis that the Stronghold, and the close relation we share with each other is the cause of bonding and kinship we feel between us. when we learn to work together more efficiently and smoothly, we start learning more about each other and eventually becoming friends.

Nutshell-ly speaking, The stronghold provides an entire area of dominance for the alliance and will allow us protect and support each other, both in Military and Economy. It will men we win the game much more easily and is a thought we should take up. FUN was always a Stronghold building alliance, so it is a tradition we'd be partaking in.

And just when you think this little kid can stop rambling, he continues and double posts.

If any moderator seeks to merge my posts, i seek to use dootzkie's shield of defense- "A brave man may fall but he cannot yield!"

Anyway, as I so inconspicuously hinted last chapter, I was once too against the SH. This is why.

The SH is a defensive tactic, it avoids the hierarchy of early game and prevents the early wipe of alliances in the rise of the higher players. It also means we quite literally sim for a few villages until the tide of newcomers comes to us. This, to me, is a huge sacrifice in the much forgotten "fun" scale of the game into the "victory blind" scale of games. Now, for me, victory =/= fun if victory is done through tactics which eliminate the very basis of fun in a game, in this case, raiding, from start to finish.

It does sacrifice raiding leisure, but really, when i tried to think about it from the other angle, i realized something. You still have 1 village! It is harder to survive against hordes with 1 village, hence why it would be mroe fun to me, as it is a challenge. I realized that you could play with your first village whilst working on your SH then swap focuses later on when you can play with your big guns.

So if you're against the SH, really, just talk to me about it, I'll try to answer to your problems. If i cannot help you, and no one else can, then I am truly afraid this alliance is not for you.

I'm excited. I like this idea. Can't wait to see it in action. Just let us know where it will be when the time comes. I assume I send a message to someone when I'm ready to settle my first village?

i like this idea,its extremely good,and im up for it,but how will i rise my army if there is no croppers,cause i know i wont be fast to take the croppers at our SH....other players from FUN will probably take it before me...

ex3m wrote:i like this idea,its extremely good,and im up for it,but how will i rise my army if there is no croppers,cause i know i wont be fast to take the croppers at our SH....other players from FUN will probably take it before me...

There's at least one for everyone.

At the beginning, we don't mind whether you take a few croppers, but as we progress, we put strong restrictions on taking croppers in order to make it fair for our other members. Everyone gets at least one-two croppers and that is only if they start late in the game.

d0 we absulutely have to settle out their for our sec-third ville...i would like to have at least my main a cropper and a support so i can dominate my area along with yee and arkonix pwning everyone

I can't wait to settle more early on this round and get some cavalry and support out to all you guys.

Do we have to settle ALL subsequent villages in the SH, My two villages are in close proximity to each other and next to both a 15c and a 9c. I would greatly prefer settling village number three in my current location and village four in the SH as sending resources to a new 15c in the stronghold which by its nature will grow very slowly on its own will be problematic with 24 hour round trips for my merchants, please contact me about...

Arkonix wrote:Do we have to settle ALL subsequent villages in the SH, My two villages are in close proximity to each other and next to both a 15c and a 9c. I would greatly prefer settling village number three in my current location and village four in the SH as sending resources to a new 15c in the stronghold which by its nature will grow very slowly on its own will be problematic with 24 hour round trips for my merchants, please contact me about...

Arkonix, the Stronghold idea is for mutual protection for our members. Last server showed that about half our starting village locations were wiped out. While you may end up settling a group outside the Stronghold, it will be very hard for us as an alliance to assist you if you are attacked (unless there are a number of our members close by to your location).

well their is alot of member in our (mine and arkons) section

me arkonix superyee rowsey and a few others are in our 21x21 ......and idk about yee and rowsey but me and arkon are dominating just about everyone and if you would look at mine and arkons offensive score you will know we like to kill =] im almost caught up with him in offensive hehe ......but if we allow people to settle around us then we will most likely get wiped :(i think we should settle this area as this area has enough croppers in it to let everyone get around 1 maybe even 2 croppers not trying to override the leaders but this would be a good choice...their is alot of croppers just in our 21x21 and in our sh 35x35 their are only 13...plus their is loads of farms around us

^.^

mike8189 wrote:well their is alot of member in our (mine and arkons) section

me arkonix superyee rowsey and a few others are in our 21x21 ......and idk about yee and rowsey but me and arkon are dominating just about everyone and if you would look at mine and arkons offensive score you will know we like to kill =] im almost caught up with him in offensive hehe ......but if we allow people to settle around us then we will most likely get wiped :(i think we should settle this area as this area has enough croppers in it to let everyone get around 1 maybe even 2 croppers not trying to override the leaders but this would be a good choice...their is alot of croppers just in our 21x21 and in our sh 35x35 their are only 13...plus their is loads of farms around us

^.^

Since the area seems to be dominated by us, there is a thought of having multiple Strongholds (or Strongpoints) with several members in each. Each group could operate independently as a battlegroup, or can organize itself with the rest of the battlegroups as one.

Mike, keep in mind that if the few of you cannot fend off an attack, you guys are quite literally on your own.

I am awhile away from my third village at the mo' can we see how things are going closer then, the last thing i want to do is throw a spanner in the works, if the leadership are adamant i will of course follow the set course its just a thought. I certainly see the merits in the SH i was just uneasy with my next one being set-up in there, 4th onwards for sure but i kinda have my eye on a spot for number three close by...