Who can defend the city?

There are two different possible scenarios when defending a city:

Scenario A:
The besieged city is still free and not under control of a player guild. In this case the city will be defended by the cities navy on the sea and by the cities militia on land. Depending on the military grade of the besieged city, it might be possible that the city has no navy and the city will only be defended by the cities militia on land. Every city has a militia that will defend the cities flag if the city is attacked. The strength and number of the militia will be determined by the cities military grade. Residents or peers of the besieged city aren’t allowed to participate in the defence of their city.

Scenario B:
The besieged city is controlled by a player guild. In this case the city will be defended by the guild that controls the city and their allies. The guild has to defend the city on land and on sea. If the controlling guild has hired navy ships or land militia, they will participate in the defence as well. Residents or peers of the besieged city aren’t allowed to participate in the defence of their city.

Quick facts for the city defence:

Only members or allies of the guild that controls a besieged city are allowed do defend the city
It a city has a navy or militia, those npcs are participating in the defence
If a defender dies or his ship sinks, he spawns back in the city
You can enter the battle scene by using the dockworker npc
Players that are not involved in the city siege can’t interfere with the siege, because the actual combat takes place in a separate battle scene
Attacking players in a city siege has no influence on the fame system

Siege war chat messages

When a guild has won the bid for the next city siege, the result of the bidding process is broadcasted in the open chat channel. If the besieged city is controlled by a guild, all guild members get an additional message with the result in their guild chat. If a guild member isn’t online at the time when the message is sent, he gets the message when he first logs on after the broadcast of the bidding results.

Quick facts for siege messages:

The players will be informed about the results of the siege war bidding process
If the besieged city is controlled by a guild, all guild members receive an additional message in their guild chat.

Defence preparations

As soon as the defending guild gets the message that their city will be besieged, they should start their preparations for the defence. Preparations should ideally include stocking up on whatever supplies are necessary for the defence and setting up defence tactics. Players with the strongest ships should be used for the sea battles and the players with the highest land fighting skills should be organised to defend the fortress with the city flag.

Quick facts for defence preparations:

Stock up on needed supplies
Set up defence tactics and use defending players according to their strengths
Invite allied guilds to the defence

Sea Battle Phase

As soon as the actual battle starts, every member of the defending guild will get a message informing him about it in guild chat.
Player that want to defend the city on sea, should enter the cities offing using the dockworker or over the open sea. Because the harbour is defended by the cities artillery, all players should concentrate to defend the secret entrances to the city. You can find them a little aside from the harbour and you can identify them easily by pressing the ALT key.
If an attacker reaches the shore, the players fighting in land should be informed, so that they can prepare to engage the enemy if necessary. If a defending ship is sunk, the player respawns back in the city and can enter the battle again, if he wants to.

Quick facts for sea battle phase:

The defending players should keep an eye on the secret entrances to the city
If an attacking player reaches the shore, the defenders on land should be informed about the fact
If a defending ship is sunk, the player respawns in the city
Sunk ships can re-enter the battle if they want to

Land battle phase

If the first attackers reach the shore, they should be engaged by the land forces. The players who are assigned to guard the city flag, should defend the main emplacement and the commanding flag at all costs.
If the defenders should attack the attackers while they are still on the shore, should be decided depending on the situation. The defenders should at all events position themselves on the stairs leading up to the commanding flag, because the stairs are the bottleneck every attacker has to pass, to reach the commanding flag.
Defenders who have died while defending the flag, will respawn back in the city. If they want to re-enter the battle scene, they can do so by using the dockworker NPC.

Quick facts for land battle:

Defenders can enter the battle scene by using the dockworker NPC
Killed defenders respawn back in the city and can re-enter the battle scene if they want to
The stairs leading up to the commanding flag are the bottleneck every attacker has to pass

Victory and defeat for the defenders

The primary goal of the defenders has to be to defend the city. To reach that goal, the defenders have to guard the commanding flag of the city, so that it doesn’t get destroyed. The commanding flag is positioned on the highest tower of the battle scene.
The defenders have won, if the commanding flag is still standing at the end of the siege period. It doesn’t matter it the flag is damaged, as long it isn’t destroyed. The length of the siege period varies between the different cities, but shouldn’t be shorter than 1 hour.

Quick facts for victory and defeat for the defenders:

The defenders have to defend the commanding flag
The siege ends after a predetermined siege time or if the commanding flag is destroyed in that time frame
If the commanding flag is destroyed, the defending guild loses control of the city