Travian
Browser-based antiquity strategy with millions of players.
Travian: Legends is a persistent, browser-based massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game set in classical antiquity. Developed by the German company Travian Games and originally released in June 2004 by Gerhard Müller, it has been translated into over 40 languages and once had over 5 million players across more than 300 servers. In 2006 it won the Superbrowsergame Award in the large games category.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Gerhard Müller
- Developer
- Travian Games
- Released
- 5 September 2004
- Latest release version
- 4.6
- Latest release date
- 15 March 2021
- Programming language
- PHP
- Platform
- Web browser
- Language count
- 41
Facts from the source article.
Development
Travian began as a PHP hobby project by Gerhard Müller, a chemistry student at the Technical University of Munich, and was released in June 2004. Version 2 arrived on 12 March 2005, adding buildings and altering mechanics and graphics. Critical Gamers compared it to The Settlers of Catan and Solar Realms Elite. Due to unexpected success, Müller and his brother Siegfried Müller founded Travian Games as a non-trading partnership in July 2005, later converting it to a limited liability company; rights transferred to the company in early 2006. A Java ME midlet for mobile access, developed by Markus Rieger of GameCreator, was offered via subscription in 2006 but is no longer supported. Version 3, released on 30 June 2006, introduced annexable oases that boosted resource production and heroes that gain experience in battle, along with major mechanic and graphic changes. Update 3.1 added quests rewarding resources or game gold. A faster edition, Travian Speed3x, and later Speed editions with different multipliers were released. Travian Classic ("Travian 2.5"), announced on 16 March 2007, disabled some version 3 features to resemble version 2. Update 3.5, first implemented on the original .org server in early February 2009, reintroduced artifacts granting bonuses. Update 3.6 followed on 22 October 2009, making some Plus! features free and adding new ones. Version 4 was announced in July 2010 and released in February 2011.
Financing
Initial financing came from Travian Plus account upgrades and web banners. Later, most servers replaced Plus purchases with Gold purchases, which allowed direct influence on game mechanics such as increased resource production and instant building or research completion. Gold could once buy 10% attack and defense bonuses, but this was revoked on later servers. Plus accounts provided building queues, larger maps, and other functional abilities; user scripts can replicate these effects but are against terms of service and can lead to bans. The Gold club, available since version 3.6, offers attack lists and valley searches. A Travian Shop sells items like clothing and mugs.
Reception
In 2005, Travian ranked second in the medium games category of Gamesdynamite's Superbrowsergame Award and was named Most Innovative Browser Game of 2005 by Coole Browsergames. In 2006, it won the Superbrowsergame Award in the large games category and was chosen Browser Game of the Year 2006 by Coole Browsergames. Travian was chosen Browser Game of the Year 2011 in the classic games category by GforGaming's jury. On 1 January 2013, its Persian version was blocked in Iran, allegedly to support domestic game companies, protect personal information, and prevent money transfer out of the country; the block was lifted after 10 days, but the company shut down its Persian site completely.
More in Massively Multiplayer Online Real-time Strategy Games
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced