How to plan a war? What is Realm of Empires really about!

So you wanna go to war eh!? Of course you do! It’s a game of conquest and war, not sim-village. So what do you do? Gather your forces and attack a nearest neighbor? If it is inactive, or clan-less, then sure but it is not much fun when there is no challenge, is there?

What you really want to do, is bungee jump off that bridge, skydive, ride the scariest rollercoaster, jump over the highest ski hill– you want the adrenaline rush!

What is the fun attempting something you know you cannot loose?

When playing poker with play money, don’t you usually choose some prize anyway– ‘we’re playing for honor, bragging rights, or a plaque on the wall’.

The real rush is when you gamble something you don’t want to lose. You have to fear the loss or there really is no fun, no excitement.

If realm of empires allowed you to create a village in 1 day, losing it wouldn’t matter much would it? You just start over again. But, if it takes you a MONTH to build one up, and perhaps 3-6 months to create a little empire of 10 villages, then it will hurt to lose them!! This is partly why Realm Of Empires is designed as it is – so that you can be proud of your accomplishments.

OK, so we agree we want the rush, yes? (if not then just pretend for a moment and we'll address that and the end :)

So, don’t pick on a clan a tenth of your size! Pick on someone you can actually loose against. Pick someone that will give you a challenge!


“Ok, ok, I found such a clan, so I launch my attacks now right?” Nooooo…! In a game of strategy, just attacking will surely get you eliminated. Now you need to plan!

And I mean plan! Plan 2-4 weeks ahead! Maybe more.

Contact your friends … *quietly*!
Can you trust all your clan mates? Maybe you should not let everyone in on your plans just yet! Talk to your friends and those in the clan you trust, perhaps the leadership – suggest your plan to them, sell them your idea. Convince your friends to join you, convince your clan leadership. This is not easy but remember, you are talking to REAL people. Learn to convince them in the game, and then perhaps you can convince your friends or boss real life of something that matters! Not a bad lesson to learn I think! :)


Ok, so you convinced your friends & clan to join you. Now it’s time to study the maps ( roe power tools will come in handy). Who are your targets? Should you target the leaders of the clan or everyone? List your targets; assign them to you battle group. Make sure all targets are covered.

What are your attack capabilities?
Do a clan roundup, find out what your clan members have – how many maxed out attack armies do they have? Do all such armies have rams & treb? Add up your armies to see how many targets you can take.

What about your target’s allies?
Who are they allied with? What do you know about the strength of these alliances? Will their allies come to their aid? Will they counter attack? How will you justify your aggression in front of others? Will other clans take advantage and attack you when you are week? THINK this through or you will perish, I guarantee it!

What about your allies?
How to take advantage of those relationships? Will all your allies attack with you? Probably not! And also, probably better not to let everyone in on your plans. But even if they will not fight with you, why not contact them a week ahead and ask for support? ‘Guys, we think something is brewing, cannot say yet in detail but please send us support, just in case. Thanks!’. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Do not go to war with only your troops at your disposal. Get your allies to support you BEFORE d-day.

Also, will everyone in your clan attack? Most likely no. Most likely a good portion of your clan is too weak or new to participate – but why not use them? Get your smaller members to support you with ALL their Infantry and Spies. It is very unlikely they will be targeting in a counter attack but their troops will help you!

OK, so you are now ready to attack!
Do you have a plan for wave 2? Ie, what will happen after your first attack, after you guys spend all your attack armies? Why not involve allies to take a second attack wave? Make a plan for them, have a list of target, offer them your spy reports so that they can move in a day or two rather than in a week.

How will you hold villages you just took over?
Can you take 5 new villages and defend them all? If you cannot count on allies to support them and don’t have enough forces, perhaps better not bit more than you can chew. Perhaps just take what you can defend and destroy other villages to the ground with Trebuchet.

And many, many more questions should be asked. THIS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS in Realm Of Empires. Plan well and you will be victorious and I guarantee an adrenalin rush on d-day! J
This is why Realm of Empires appears to be ‘slow’. It is precisely because it takes weeks to plan a successful war!

“But I don’t wanna do all that! I don’t have the time or desire. Can’t I just grow my village and then slowly expand my empire?” Of course you can! But you still have to be aware of this. Realize that others in your clan may want to plan such wars so make sure you help them accomplish their goal by being active on the forums, being aware of what is going on, responding to their requests for information, sharing your spy information etc. Help them when asked for support, pick targets when asked etc. Your success is tied to theirs. I personally was part of both - the leading and planning of wars, as well as following a lead and found both very interesting and exciting.

PS. Some will disagree, some may laugh about I really believe Realm of Empires is educational, and can be a positive part of your life. Rather than taking risks like bungi jumping, we can partly satisfy this silly desire in a safe environment of a virtual medieval world. I think our real world will be a better place where we can expand some of our aggression and need to dominate in a safe environment such as this. We can be better, more successful in life if we can learn consequences of our poor communication, poor planning and apply those lessons to the real life. In realm of empires you are not dealing with a computer controlled AI, an algorithm you can sooner or later figure out. At Realm of Empires you go against your biggest adversary – the homo sapiens! (extraterrestrial and poltergeist excluded ;) )