New FortBattles Page

Introduction

Fort battles in The West are dynamic player-versus-player clashes that unfold in a turn-based structure. Two formidable teams, attackers and defenders, comprising up to 250 players in total (with a maximum of 130 attackers and 120 defenders - depending on the fort size), engage in a series of rounds. The ultimate goal is to secure victory conditions and, in doing so, take control of a fort currently owned by another town.

This strategic gameplay involves careful coordination and planning, as large groups of players collaborate to outmaneuver their opponents and claim dominance over these crucial locations.

Before the battle

Initiating a fort battle in The West requires the town's councillor or founder to journey to an enemy fort and click the "declare" button located in the lower right corner.

By doing so, a battle is scheduled to commence 24 hours later. The act of declaring a fort battle comes with a base cost of $1500 for a small fort, $5000 for a medium fort, and $10000 for a large fort. This cost is doubled for each battle already declared within the previous three hours. The funds for this endeavor are automatically deducted from the attacking town's treasury.

An attacked fort cannot be the target of a new offensive within 48 hours following the outbreak of the last battle on this fort.

Following the declaration, a report is dispatched to all participating players, signaling the beginning of strategic preparations. The report serves as a call to action, informing players that the metaphorical hatchet has been unearthed, and their assistance is crucial in the impending battle.

Joining the battle

You must join before a battle to participate in it. To do so, open the fort screen and click the attack or defend button in the lower right corner. Since Version 2.08, all players can sign up without being physically present at the fort and also participate in fort battles regardless of whether they belong to a town. If you are not an alliance member of the attacking or defending towns then you must pick which side to fight for.

Before the battle begins you can continue to move around the map and perform other tasks as normal. However, your character must be present at the fort for the start of the battle, or they will be excluded from it. Once the battle has commenced, you cannot do any other jobs, complete quests, use consumable items, change clothes or join other battles; you also cannot leave your town or be kicked out. You must then wait until the battle concludes.

Positioning

After joining a fort battle, you will be shown the pre-battle screen, allowing you to choose your starting and target positions. Although this is not necessary, it is highly advisable, as the default behaviour is to select a random starting location and move attackers towards the flag. Attackers can only select a starting position in the red area (surrounding the edges of the map) and similarly the defenders can only select a starting position in the blue area (inside the fort). Click a valid location once to select a starting position and again to choose a target location. These positions can be edited later by clicking and dragging the markers. Once the battle begins, if two players have requested the same starting position, one will be moved to the nearest free position. Priority is given to players from the attacking and defending alliances, otherwise the first player takes the position.

Ranks

In preparation for the impending battle, generals and captains hold the authority to assign ranks to all participating players on their respective sides. This strategic maneuver allows for effective organization and coordination within the team. However, it's important to note that if the number of players on one side surpasses the server limit, a systematic removal process takes place. In this scenario, players with lower ranks are randomly removed before those with higher ranks, ensuring that the team size adheres to the server's capacity.

Here is a breakdown of the ranks and their distribution for better clarity:

Icon	Rank	Description
	General	Automatically assigned to founders of the attacking town and the fort owner town as well as the attacking town's councillors. As officers, generals can assign ranks up to captain and cannot be demoted.
	Captain	Automatically assigned to founders of fort member towns and councillors of all defending towns. As officers, captains can assign ranks up to sergeant and can only be demoted by generals.
	Sergeant	An ordinary enlisted rank.
	Private	An ordinary enlisted rank.
	Recruit	Automatically assigned to players joining a fort battle.
	Reservist	An ordinary enlisted rank.
	Traitor	Cannot access the fort chat.

The Map

The battle map is intricately divided into sectors, representing larger regions, and fields, which are individual squares. Each sector has the capacity to accommodate only one team at a time, contributing to the strategic landscape of the battle. On a finer scale, fields are designed to accommodate a single player each.

A key element in battle strategy involves the concept of 'control' — the ability to influence a sector's dynamics by strategically placing one or more comrades within it, effectively obstructing access for the enemy. This control mechanism plays a pivotal role in shaping the course of the battle.

Moreover, each sector brings its own nuances to the gameplay. Some sectors confer distinct advantages or disadvantages, influencing factors such as aiming accuracy and the efficacy of dodging maneuvers. This layer of complexity adds depth to the strategic decision-making process, encouraging players to consider the terrain and its impact on the overall battle dynamics.