I usually play RPG type of online game, including browser based MMOs.  However, one of my friend finally able to persuade me to play one of strategy type browser based MMO.  In my country, Travian was opening their 1^st server in April 2008, and currently they are running 4 servers and 1 speed server.  To my surprised, this game brought a new experience and change my perspective about strategy browser based MMO.  I have tried Ikariam and Lord of Evil before, and although I will give a good score to them too, I will say that this game has many aspects that exceeding other title.

For short, Travian is a strategy game without any animations (except if you install a skin) similar like Sid Meier’s Civilization.  But let me warn you players who want to try this game, if you want to play a “sim like” game, you will be dissapointed.  Go play something like Sim City or Civilization or even Age of Empire if you feel like you want to apply your INDIVIDUAL strategy to other player.  This game is definitely NOT an individualistic game.  Crafting strategy would need a HEAVY TEAMWORK with other players.  While I do understand that some MMORPG also need a heavy cooperation between players (like high level Final Fantasy XI), but this game doesn’t take weeks or months for you to find out about what I mean.  Travian need players, not just to apply their strategy over their village and technology advancement, but this game need you to coordinate, build teamwork, and NEGOTIATE.

At first, you will be given a village with limited resources and you can start building your village right away to reach higher population, found new technology, new building, new unit, build an army, etc. just like other strategy browser based game.  The game also provide you with a very good newbie guide.  In fact, so far, this game provide me with the best newbie guide for browser based game.  You will get a 3 days (real time count) protection from other players.  Now the challenge will come when you have lost your protection, because most of the time, you will be raided by other players.  The only way you can face this problem, is to form an alliance with other players and craft a strategy for facing other players or even alliance.  Sometimes there will be CFD (call for defenses) where you and other players in your alliance need to pool defensive units at certain village, or CFR (call for resources) where you and other players pool all resources to help build a village defense, offense, or technology advancement, besides CFA (call for attack) where you focus all of your alliance member attack to certain village.  And even though you have reached highest rank player, you will still need an alliance.

This game has a very well balanced aspects between complexity and simplicity.  How to play this game is very simple and I can categorize this game to have a very simple interface compare to other title in the same genre.  But the way a strategy can be implemented is very complex.  Sometimes a battle really decided by a matter of seconds.  If one of your alliance member launch a joint attack but getting late for 5 seconds, the outcome of the battle can be fatal.  And sometimes, having a joint attack will require some alliance members to sacrifice their good sleep night.  Because the difference between each village that atack the same target, will require a pricise attacking launch.  And sometimes, the launch should be initiated at 3 A.M. ^^. 

Also there are 3 playable races in this game.  Each has their own advantage and disadvantages.  For example, Gaul has solid defense aspect that reflected on their special building and phalanx unit as their main defense soldier.  Teuton has powerful offense including the ability to penetrate cranny, a building that keep resources from being raided.  On the other hand, although Rome is not as powerfull as Teuton and is not as strong as Gaul in defense, they can build their resources and facility simultaneuously, where others can’t do that.  There is still one other race, but they are not playable.  Natarian are played by experienced player all around the world and some GM of the game.  They are very powerfull, and they only appear during late round of the game.  The rise of Natarian is the sign of late server round.  This race hold a design for building a world of wonder.

From what I’ve heard around, one round of Travian usually ended after one alliance succeed in building world of wonder.  World of wonder can only be build after we defeat Natarian.  So Travian is MMOG with purpose, not an open ended and “build your own goal” type of MMOG.

One amazing thing that I’ve experienced in this game, is that the game has triggered a very good teamwork sense.  I have found that almost all the strong guild (up to rank 50^th) in the game, had form a real life friendship because of the game.  The feeling when you’ve been helped by a CFD strategy during an attack to one of your village, will make you really appreciate the effort of your alliance team member.  The taste of victory during a joint attack with your other team member, also stimulate a good community even in the real life.  In my country, many of strong alliance have testify that they got attached to one another on the real life.  This is a very good example of a community based game.  No wonder there are  thousands of players joining this game.  It has taught me to never underestimate the power of browser based MMOGs.