Become King (or Queen) of the World on Facebook

If you are even a casual user of facebook you will have come across or possibly even have played some of the immensely popular flash based games yourself, that have you doing everything from growing crops to growing monsters.

As popular as they are, I find they are fun to a point, but not for me, and in truth have some serious flaws.

• Flash can be slow to load, buggy and can crash often
• Your wall and your friends walls become inundated with game requests
• What starts out as 'cute' or 'fun' becomes increasingly labour intensive until it starts to resemble real work. That's when you find you can speed things up by spending a little bit of the in game cash. Then you find out that the feeble amounts the game doles out to you don't add up to squat. Luckily you can get more of this in-game cash. How? With real cash.
• People cheat and create mule, sock, puppet,kitchen sink and whatever else kind of illegitimate and less than honest account you can imagine.
• The social aspect is there but tends to be a little spammy and hard to get to know new people
• All the bright colours and cloying music make these games very boss un-friendly.
• Might leave one craving something a little smarter and a little more sophisticated in terms of game play.

Luckily there is an option. It isn't as pretty to look at as some of these other games, but it is one that I have been playing for over two years straight, and while not perfect is I believe the best game on facebook. That game is King(or Queen) of the world.

King(or Queen) of the world, or KOTW as it is often referred to by it's users is a text based massively multi-player online game (MMO) developed by a man named Don Lee, that allows you to build and expand your own kingdom, and if you are canny enough even become the king (or queen) of the world.

This is done by accumulating 'standards' which represent land that you conquer, buy with gold you earn or even give and receive as gifts to loyal subjects.

You can apply to and join one of the game's many alliances, but even if you want to be independent you will still have a ruler (one is assigned but you can choose) who can help keep you safe from invaders.

The game is tick based, with one tick being equal to a half hour of real time, and as such it allows people to play the game with relative success by only being on for a few minutes once or twice a day. You are not likely to be king or queen playing casually like this, but you really don't need to make it to the very top to enjoy the game.

There is plenty of strategy, diplomacy and intrigue through all ranks of the game as well as being part of a unique community that allows people to find success and enjoyment in their own niche of the game.

The thing with a game like KOTW is that it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles and pretty animations to draw you in.

It can also be a little tricky at first getting the hang of what you are supposed to be doing in the first place.

If you add the game I very much urge you to take the time to figure it out a little, and to be social and ask questions. There are many people in the community who will help you get started if you show some interest and a little activity.

When I first started I joined at the request of a friend, and very much had to be coaxed in, as I had no intention of playing. Well it will be three years in October of 2011, and the friend who invited me in, they are still playing as well.

The game does have it's draw backs. Even without having the bells and whistles it can get buggy from time to time, and as I said there is a small learning curve to get started, but there are many good points that in my opinion make it the best game on Facebook.

• It can take up a lot of time, but only if you let it and want to.
• What makes the game good/interesting is the subtext and all the wheeling and dealing and diplomacy that goes on. This is a smart game.
• It might seem a little confusing at first, but it really isn't, and there are a LOT of people in the community willing to help you out and get you started as well as a game forum (The World Discussion Board) where you can get help and ask questions.
• The developer takes part in the community via the forums and actively seeks ideas and input on the game and any changes made with it's users.
• The game has a 'lead investigator' who is proactive about weeding out and removing cheaters and people with multiple accounts keeping the game clean and honest for everyone.
• You can spend real money on the game (and I think it deserves a little) but you never feel trapped or forced into doing so and can play without spending a dime and do perfectly well.
• The community is quite amazing. As with all groups of people there are some bad apples, but I have met a lot of great people in the game. Of my 300 or so Facebook friends almost half of them are from KOTW. I have met people from the U.K. Sweden, Pakistan , the United States, Australia  and beyond.  
• Many relationships start and flourish here, including at least one couple who are now married! In fact the amazing and beautiful woman in my life who makes me feel blessed every day I met in the game when I invaded her over two years ago!!

So there you go, a simple yet sophisticated game that is fun to play and a great way to expand your social circle. It is something that is a little difficult to properly explain to someone who hasn't tried it, so I strongly recommended that you do!

See you on the battle ground!!

Visit the game's information page (you can join from here)