Travian: Legends is a persistent, browser-based, massively multiplayer, online real-time strategy game developed by the German software company Travian Games. It was originally written and released in June 2004 as "Travian" by Gerhard Müller. Set in classical antiquity, Travian: Legends is a predominantly militaristic real-time strategy game.
Travian has been translated into over 40 languages from the original German version, and at one time boasted over 5 million players on over 300 game servers worldwide. In 2006, it won the Superbrowsergame Award, in the large games category.
Travian: Legends is programmed in PHP and runs in most modern browsers. Its creators may have drawn from an earlier German board game, The Settlers of Catan, for layout and the resource development theme.
Gameplay
Travian: Legends is set in classical antiquity. Each player starts the game as the leader of a small, undeveloped village, surrounded by undeveloped resource fields. Developing these fields increases their resource output. The village can be developed by constructing new buildings and upgrading existing ones. Recruiting military units allows players to attack other villages to plunder resources, and defend from enemy attacks. Villages may trade their resources with other villages if both villages have a marketplace. The player may expand their realm by founding new villages, or by conquering other players' villages. Players can communicate with each other using in-game messages, and may join alliances for military and economic co-operation with other players.
Starting a game
Players must register on the Travian website to join a game, providing an e-mail address, and creating a username and a password.
The player must also choose a tribe to play the game with, and select a World, that represents a game server, to play in. Entities in one World can only interact with other entities in the same World. Events that take place in one World do not affect other Worlds. Players may operate accounts in multiple Worlds, but operating more than one account in the same World is prohibited by the rules. However, multiple players may operate a single account. Worlds close registrations for new players after a certain number of players have signed up.
After logging in, the player can follow a tutorial that guides them through various aspects of the game and offers rewards for successful completion. At the start of the game, there is a "beginner's protection" period, in which the player cannot be attacked, the length of which depends on the server.
Tribes
There are 3 playable tribes (the Romans, the Gauls, and the Teutons) and two non-playable tribes (Natars and Nature) on classic Travian: Legend servers. Travian: Fire and Sand introduced two more playable tribes (Huns and Egyptians) which are later incorporated into all international servers. The player selects one of these tribes during registration. Each tribe has different specialities. Romans can upgrade buildings and resource fields simultaneously, have powerful troops which are expensive to train, and have low-capacity merchants. Gauls have fast-moving troops with good defensive capabilities, and fast merchants. Teutons are geared towards an aggressive style of play, and offer weak but cheap troops, as well as slow but high-capacity merchants. Once a tribe is chosen it cannot be changed, and all villages founded or conquered by the player will be of that tribe.
The two NPC tribes are the Natars and Nature. Natarian villages randomly spawn all over the map, and will gradually develop. Villages of players who have deleted their accounts will also have a chance of turning into Natarian villages. These villages can be attacked and conquered by players. Natars also occupy the central area of the map, and will attack players' villages in that area. Natarian villages may hold ancient artefacts which give bonuses to those who possess them.
Nature is the tribe to which animals occupying abandoned oases on the map belong. Unlike the other four tribes, Natural troops cannot attack other villages but may be attacked. It is possible to capture animals from oases and use them as defensive units.