Alliance

An alliance is a group where players (up to 100), help protect each other, chat to each other, and send resources to. To join an alliance, the person must have an embassy. There, the player can apply for an alliance or accept an invitation. Some people will make their own alliance though (costs 10,000 gold and requires a Level 2 Embassy). An alliance features its own channel for chatting and all members can send resources or garrison others.

## Structure

The alliance is made up of:

Host

Vice Host

Presbyter

Officer

Member

The host is the leader and is responsible for managing the alliance, the vice host(s) is(are) the second-in-command, presbyter(s) is(are)higher than officers, officer(s) is(are) higher than members, and then the lowest on the scale: members. Every role besides a member has a unique job, or optional power, in the alliance.

## Diplomacy

Alliances are able to declare war or friendly pacts with others. Enemies pose a threat and usually encouraged to be attacked. The cities that are part of the enemy alliance has a red flag. Neutral alliance's members have gray flags (people without alliances have a gray flag as well). Blue flag means that person in an ally alliance. Green flag means that person is in the same alliance as you and yellow flags means your flag...of course. Friendly alliances cannot be attacked, but they CAN attack you if their alliance has not declared friendly with your alliance. This is why that hosts and vice hosts wants the other host and vice host(s) to be online at the same time to declare friendly at the same time. The other alliance can forget to declare friendly and attack by accident!

One of the finer alliance tactics is called a merger. It is when two or more alliances with few players (let's say 35 each) are being attacked by larger alliances. The high officials of one clan might tell everybody and boot them to the other clan, which is now stronger because they have more people. The first one will be abandoned. It is recommended that the alliances are in the same state, or else players will not want to transfer because they do not want to portal to a new state and get their cities separated.

## Benefits

* Alliance Channel--Here, you can chat with other members without wasting a speaker. It can kill boredom if many members are online.

* Protection--Other members can support you when you are under attacked by garrisoning you (sending troops to protect you) or attack the attacker DIRECTLY.

* Support--Other members can send you resources when you are running short.

* Less Potential Risk of Getting Scouted, Plundered, Farmed, or Conquered--Your alliance can scare people off.

* And much, much more.

It is encouraged that a person should join an alliance by all means.

## Running an alliance

1) Size - If you have never been in any position of power, then you don't want to have a full alliance from the start.

2) Members - Coax your friends, either from other games or real life, to join the game, as they will probably be your best bet to running an alliance better.

3) Communication - Most alliances tend to lose their fervor because communication is a problem.
3.1) Messenger - A messenger is a great way to stay in touch with people. MSN is probably the best because it is used by most countries.
3.2) Forum - Not suggested to alliances with few people. Forums are great to keep in touch with people when your not in the same time zone. With large alliances, it is great to keep track of what is going on with each member, and it helps to get to know them better. It is a place where plans can be discussed among other things. Allies can also register and keep you up to date with events going on with you, and you can update them on how you are doing as well.

4) Coordination - Because of the nature of this game, most players tend to be spread out. Try and find a central point or at least region where you are and find players in or near you so help is more readily available. It is reccomended that you require new members to port to the alliance's state.

5) Structure - Most alliances have a command structure of some sort. Make sure you put people where they deserve to be, as it will motivate others and give help to them.