Travian - be a village leaader in the time of the roman empire

I have discovered a new on-line strategy game which I have been playing around with.

Travian is a free browser based game where you start off as a leader of a small village. You then build up your resources by upgrading your production of the four key resources clay, wood, wheat and iron.

When you have a stronger village you can then get into trading, defence, attack, joining an alliance or founding new villages etc.

It is a game that needs patience as only a few moves can be made each day especially during the initial growth phase although it is good to see your village get bigger over time. This slowness can be an advantage as you are never going to spend hours a day with your village although for maximum growth you would need to tinker every few hours. Having said that you don't need to, I just go in once a day for ten minutes.

I started off as a Roman, apparently the easiest tribe to start. Each tribe has specific bonuses and specialisms. At the end of the first week I am still growing my resources to allow me to do other things but it certainly looks like a good game.

One of the big features is alliances, when you build an embassy you can join an alliance where you can co-ordinate defence, attack or just share resources. Here you can also sort out wars and diplomatic squabbles. I haven't got this far yet but it certainly sounds interesting.

The interface is good too, simple with colourful graphics, it is quite easy to pick up. There are also forums, FAQ's and guides to help you along the way if you get stuck or want to find out more about something.