Hypothesis: By imitating the current top player’s strategy, one can find oneself in the top 100 range eventually.

Discussion: Looking at the data below, I came up with the MS / TPS ratio (My Score to Top Player’s Score ratio) which will more or less serve as one’s strategy guide if one is aiming for the top spot. If everyone were to imitate this strategy though, then getting there might take longer. Whoever has the will to continue expanding while being able to resource manage efficiently will last out other players in the game whose interest eventually wanes =D. (Can’t have an angry population now, can we).

Also of interest are the areas in Ikariam which seem to contribute to the top player’s ranking. She (assuming the player is female) ranked 1st in Master Builders, Research Levels, and Scientists. But in the area of Build Levels, she ranked 9th, in Generals, she ranked 1909th (giving me more reason to suspect that the player is female since most males are war freaks =D ), and in Gold Stock, she ranked 1881th. So I am assuming that it is more important to have a lot of colonies, and to keep on researching rather than pillaging and blockading ports.

One way to prove this hypothesis is if I eventually become a top 100 player. But pillaging and going to war is so much more fun =) Anyway, for those chasing after a high ranking, try to make sure that your MS / TPS values are near 100% in the areas that the Top Player in your world is excelling in. And if you beat her in the other areas as well, then you might end up being the Top Player instead. Now, I gotta get back to gaming. Have fun!!!

Server 1 Data:

Comparison	My Score	Top Player’s Score	MS / TPS
Total Score	9,033	49,285	18.33%
Master Builders	267,380	2,852,305	9.37%
Build Levels	256	431	59.40%
Scientists	73,666	307,786	23.93%
Levels of Research	124	156	79.49%
Generals	97,132	22,660	428.65%
Gold Stock	117,243	240,385	48.77%