I've played this game for almost all of its 15 year existence. My activity level rises and falls, but I keep coming back to it; this is a game best played over the course of years. To explain why, here's my history with the game: My empire rose for the first time in an alliance with several other new players, staking claim to an empty corner of the map, far away from the bustle of the new player circle, in the northern reaches of Kal Tirikan. We were successful, and expanded quickly, gaining members and fame as we grew. Until one day, our paths crossed with an alliance about our size who had claimed the other side of a river. At first, an uneasy peace was held, but both of us knew that in order to expand and claim prime real estate in the area, we'd have to fight for it. And so, fight we did. It was hardly a scuffle in the grand scheme of the game, but at the time, it felt like a life or death situation. Eventually, peace was had, and with it, a few more spots to settle. But the cracks in our new alliance's foundation had been laid and a few members decided having to scrap to survive wasn't their speed. They found bigger allies, forged new relationships, and eventually, the promising, young alliance was disbanded. I hung around the game for a while after, but eventually, decided to restart. This time, my aspirations were higher. My new alliance was still full of newer players, but we were more organized, bigger, and had the support of a confederation with some of the strongest alliances of the game. We grew and expanded and organized with our allies, until we were one of the top 20 alliances in the game. However, the horns of war came calling again, this time, on a scale unprecedented up to that point in the history of the game. A global war, fought between dozens of alliances, hundreds of players, and billions of gold in resources at stake. This war went on for months. It was a grueling war, with many ebbs and flows, but eventually, my side was defeated. We suffered heavy losses to our armies, our cities, and in our coffers as a surrender term, and the alliance I was a part of was never quite the same afterwards. Eventually, I decided to leave and start my own alliance. Still a close ally to my past friends, I was now the one giving advice, teaching new players, and guarding my players from aggressors. For a time, it was very rewarding. Eventually though, I wanted another taste of war, and I got it. I was lucky enough to join an elite team of war veterans to form an alliance unlike any before (and after) it: small, mean, and ready to take on everyone and everything. We were here for picking fights, and pick fights we did. The level of cohesion, discipline and trust among this group was special. It allowed us to go after alliances many times our size, and win handily. Time after time, we would execute our war plans with precision and devastating effect, quickly demoralizing our opponents. Our biggest target was one of the largest alliances in the game, and we won without breaking a sweat. Truly a special group of people. However, all good things must end, and eventually, I parted ways with them, seeking peace and solace. At some point, I lost interest in the game, spending a few years only checking in once every few months or so. My allies (with my blessing) harvested my cities so they wouldn't disappear due to inactivity, and eventually, my empire was reduced back down to a single town. At this point, I could've quit. It would have been easy to throw in the towel and say "yeah, that was some great times". I almost did. Instead, I decided to keep my peaceful ways, but dive back in, as a builder. You see, in Illyriad, it takes years to compete a city's research. Most players opt to capture an inactive player's city over settling their own, given that a captured city will have some or all the research already completed. I'd done that in the past. This time, however, I decided to build back my cities by settling them, one by one. This meant completing all the researches, one by one. A seemingly dull and pointless task. For me, however, it allowed me to experience the game outside of the fast lane. I wasn't settling new worlds, or rubbing shoulders with the big alliances, or focusing on war. I wasn't doing things "optimally". Thing is, I'd already done those things. Slowing down and re-growing from the ground up gave me a new appreciation for the game. These days, my empire is bigger than ever. My growth isn't outward, my armies aren't massive, and my alliance is modest. But the cumulative years I've spent playing have grown my experience in a myriad (or perhaps a cornucopia even!) of ways. Today, the game fits me like an old glove, and it's only that way because of my years doing all the things I've done.
If you want things to move quickly, it's the wrong game for you. If you want cutting edge graphics, action, or really any kind of pace beyond what one might call "medieval", it's probably not going to hold your attention. What it does have, however, is a deep system of city building and customization, complex army management, varied and nuanced warfare that challenges you to always be better, and a host of other complex systems that you might never interact with in your first year of playing. It is true that the game features a currency that can be used to very quickly grow your towns (but not your armies, or your research!), but frankly, why bother pushing things when you've got years of time to settle into your area, plan out your course, and make mistakes along the way? Pay to support the devs, or to fuel your caravans, or whatever. You can't pay to win, because winning is what you define it to be. There are "better" and "worse" ways of doing things, but never a "wrong" way; the path you take is your own, and your journey through the game will be shaped by the friends you make, the roles you take, and the years that you live playing.
