Regional Ambrosia Prices Create Unfair Advantage on International Servers

    Dear Ikariam Team,

    I am writing to highlight a major problem that is affecting the competitive integrity of the game, especially on international war servers where players from all over the world are matched together.

    The issue lies in the regional pricing of Ambrosia. For example, in Turkey, players can legally purchase 1,000 Ambrosia for about €6.50, while the same amount costs €49.99 in the EU. This is not about abuse or rule-breaking—Turkish players are playing within the rules—but the imbalance becomes a serious problem on mixed servers where Ambrosia offers huge advantages.

    On war servers, where competition is intense and Ambrosia affects military strength, cooldowns, resource boosts, and construction speed, this regional price gap creates a pay-to-win environment that favors players from cheaper regions. Players from higher-price regions are at a constant disadvantage, even if they invest significant amounts of money into the game.

    This damages the fairness of the game and discourages many players who want to compete on equal footing.

    I respectfully ask the Ikariam team to consider:

    1. Separating war servers by region, so players compete under the same conditions;

    2. Or, adjusting Ambrosia effectiveness or access across regions on global servers;

    3. Or at least, acknowledging the issue publicly and explaining if any steps are being considered.

    We love the game and the strategy it offers, but fairness is the foundation of any competitive experience. Right now, this pricing model breaks that foundation.

    Thank you for your attention.

    Sincerely,

    Quote from Draxo
    Quote from shirokenyasha

    Players from higher-price regions are at a constant disadvantage

    Not really - if they are in a higher price region, their economic level is higher and they can afford to invest more.

    War servers should be about fairness and strategy—not money. It's completely unfair that players pay different prices for the same items. On a war server, everyone should have equal prices and equal chances. The devs only care about profit, but they ignore balance and fairness. Let them experiment on other servers like Turkey, Spain, or Germany—but war servers must have equal pricing for all players. That’s the only way to keep it fair.

    Quote from Draxo
    Quote from shirokenyasha

    Players from higher-price regions are at a constant disadvantage

    Not really - if they are in a higher price region, their economic level is higher and they can afford to invest more.

    Ikariam is a joke. The game is totally unbalanced because Ambrosia costs way less on Turkish servers—like 10 times cheaper. This makes it impossible for players on other servers to compete fairly. The whole system is broken and unfair.

    can you also compare turkey with others in:


    1-) mininum salary vs minimum income to be alive

    2-) prices for products, rent or buy a house, automobiles, etc.

    3-) inflation


    after then lets talk about fair or unfair buddy

    They merged us with Arab and Turkey players, and from what I've seem, those players are cheaters who also abuse tons of cheap ambrosia.

    Since I've been to Turkey, I know people there are underpaid, I also know the food is cheap, transport is cheap, mobile data is insanely expensive, museums have high 80 euro tax for tourists and as a native you can go for free or way cheaper. You are using pirated software and watch movies from torrents for free, your homes are modern and your cars are brand new SUVs. Most people on the streets tried to sell me something or lead me to their shop.

    As for Germany, I've been to Bavaria, prices there were squeezing me like a bug, food was in much smaller quantity, at first I thought I'd starve to death, homes are mainly modern houses and cars are brand new sport cars or sedans. A lot of fines, a lot of regulations and a lot of restriction of freedom and everything is taxed in ways it should not be.

    Turkey was easier life, less effort. While Germany is set only for people who work a lot.

    So the imbalance comes when the marketplace is global and Turkey people have to pay a lot more income for the same things from the global market that Germans have - computers, phones, cars (tech manufactured elsewhere). It is way easier for a German kid to buy new gaming PC each year, that is a fact.

    So imagine what happens when a player with German Salary buys from the Turkey shop ambrosia.



    the legal minimum salary in turkey 22000₺ (~504€) and

    the rent for a liveable house 15000₺ (~344€)

    gas, water, internet, mobile data, electric 1500₺ (~35€)

    2 meal per person (only eat chicken wrap): 240₺ x 30 days = 7200₺ (~165₺)

    automobiles? buying a house? (are only dreams for an ordinary citizen)


    so lets calculate: 504 - 344 - 35 - 165 = -40€


    ikariam 5000 ambrosia = 900₺ (21€)


    lets talk about equality and justice right???


    so as you say the regular citizens should not play this game. becaus "This game should be priced according to the European exchange rate" =))


    and by the way, if you like turkey so much, welcome home.

    immediately start living in bağcılar or esenyurt in istanbul. but you will earn money and spend money in turkish standarts =)) I am sure 3 months later you will run back your hometown by crying...


    hopefully, mathematics makes clear about purchasing power differences between countries...

    and you cant say "those players are cheaters..." by looking a couple of samples. we are fighting against these type unethical people but ikariam administration are usually sleeping. they think as long as you PAY TO WIN, we play 3 monkey like in real life :/

    Quote from ConteMarlo

    and you cant say "those players are cheaters..." by looking a couple of samples. we are fighting against these type unethical people but ikariam administration are usually sleeping. they think as long as you PAY TO WIN, we play 3 monkey like in real life :/

    ok ok, not everybody. But, they made a name for themselves being so bold, arrogant and obvious.

    I personally think they share their methods within their community in an alliance group chat, info gets relayed to other alliances and in the end the whole community knows of specific exploits...

    As for the staff, maybe they gain from such exploits themselves, so why resolve them?
    The staff of ikariam PLAYS ikariam, after all! And who knows, maybe they like winning in the game, being on top and having an advantage against other players.
    Everything is possible.



    Flying to Turkey costs me 35 euro and takes an hour.
    I can spend my day there and get back home in the evening.

    And it still be cheaper than renting a place there. My last visit cost me 14-15k ₺, two people, 1 week.


    I totally forgot to buy steam games, ikariam ambrosia and spotify sub and discord nitro....next time!

    then try to live like a local person (as you say it gives us advantages:) so why dont you live here)


    it is easy to see pink sides of a country as a tourist. earn euro spend turkish lira?? and the result is turkey is cheap? ahahah you are so funny bro. you need to start economy course from base.


    "Our wisdom begins with awareness of our ignorance"

    Quote from ConteMarlo

    then try to live like a local person (as you say it gives us advantages:) so why dont you live here)


    it is easy to see pink sides of a country as a tourist. earn euro spend turkish lira?? and the result is turkey is cheap? ahahah you are so funny bro. you need to start economy course from base.


    "Our wisdom begins with awareness of our ignorance"

    *cough* I already said: You guys are underpaid. It's just I can't offer you a solution. (well, the temporarily solution is what turks already do - travel to Germany and work there, then send money back home)

    no need. I will do the same as you do.

    I will travel a cheaper country and feel myself very rich =)) then I will come back home. I will write a post about "why they buy cheaper ambrosia" in forum by crying...

    Lets be honest on international servers there should be international prices.


    As for country specific servers let there be country specific prices.

    Also if i am not mistaken whole eurozone has same ambrosia prices despite gdp per capita being almost 3 times larger in Netherlands than Latvia for example.


    And lets not go into rabbit hole of regional differences. Even in turkey people in large cities or western regions have a lot higher salaries than in rural areas.

    Quote from ConteMarlo

    no need. I will do the same as you do.

    I will travel a cheaper country and feel myself very rich =)) then I will come back home. I will write a post about "why they buy cheaper ambrosia" in forum by crying...



    Turkish minimal salary is ₺22,104 per month (504 Euro / month)

    Bulgarian Minimal salary is still 933lv even tho they promised a rise, it will happen mid summer or later.
    But say it is 1077 as promised, that is 535 euro

    So yeah we are almost the same minimal salary but you guys pay 21 Euro for 5100 amro while I pay HALF MY MONTHLY SALARY for as much.


    You are so privileged in this game (and other digital goods), yet you have no idea.

    P.S. Yes 5k Ambro costed 2x month salary in the past, pricing was THAT high for us, always. I started working for 75 euro / month at my first job and Ambro was 3x as much XD

    then the problem will no be solved if the ambrosia price is same as germans' price.

    the price should be localized based on their purchasing power!


    as I said, if you think turkish people have advantages, welcome home buddy. you need to take off your glasses that see the world in a pink color =))

    Quote from ConteMarlo

    then the problem will no be solved if the ambrosia price is same as germans' price.

    the price should be localized based on their purchasing power!


    as I said, if you think turkish people have advantages, welcome home buddy. you need to take off your glasses that see the world in a pink color =))

    You still don't get it.

    People outside of Turkey will keep on buying from the turkish shop, just like they do now.
    I think they know perfectly well why they localized Turkey' shop. That way people with the sacred knowledge could play ikariam paying 10% of the price by using that shop.