The point of this compact guide would be to make a few suggestions on how to get your empire running in as brief a time period as possible. It merely covers the first few days. I will try to avoid stating the obvious or repeating the information already given in-game too much.

1) Why you should play this game
Terra Bellica isn't a clone. It is the only MMO that resembles proper offline turn-based strategies (e.g., Age of Wonders, Master of Magic, Civilization) and bears zero similarity to any known MMO strategy. Units actually move on the map and there are proper tactics, not just timed attacks. The map can be permanently altered. The game may look amateurish at times, but it has deep mechanics that work. Give it a chance, it is a unique and intelligent game, and that can be said of very few MMOs. It has a lot of potential. By the way, as you grow, you'll have more heroes and it will no longer appear as slow-paced.

2) Your position on the map
It makes sense to review your strategic position by looking at your coordinates and finding yourself on the world map (see below). Consider teleporting (Worlds -> Move), but note that you'll lose the newbie boots and potions. The newbie boots fully restore your AP the first time you put them on, effectively meaning you have 7 AP + 14 AP at start.


3) The location for your first city
The first city should be built with both timber and stone tiles next to it. It takes a lot more time to gather resources that are even two tiles away from the town. Pictured below is a good location for a city: it has 6 resources within 1 tile. Timber is a bit more important than stone in the beginning. Consider building in the proximity of large forests so tat it would be convenient to kill orcs (large forests can be seen on the world map). Water isn't very critical, it only matters because of ships - and you won't build those in a while.


4) How to develop your first city
Keep your dark aura till the tax becomes absolutely unbearable. Its positive effect on the economy is tremendous. Note that the economic benefit applies to all of your cities, not just the first one! You should try to build a citadel as soon as possible - not just because it gives two more serfs, but because it allows to build roads and factories. The cheapest and most useful buildings to fulfil the requirements would be the barracks and the tavern. Once you build a citadel, you should focus on factories and roads. The builder is a decent investment as well, but only becomes critical shortly before your dark aura is removed. Build a fencing school so that your swordsmen grow while you're busy with the economy.

5) What to do with the quests
In addition to getting you acquainted with the game, the quests give huge material rewards. The one about the orcs is especially important. Here is how it goes: build a village, get a LVL 3 hero with volunteers. Drop the volunteers into the village - you won't need them. Click the portrait of the hero and invest two points in close combat and one in logistics. Build the barracks as soon as you can. You will be rewarded with 20 swordsmen. Give the swordsmen to your LVL3 hero. Go smash the quest orc, but don't attack others just yet. Equip the items. The sword gives +25% attack against orcs.

6) How to hunt orcs if you're a newbie
Orcs are a good source of items and XP. They are found on darkened wood tiles (don't forget to turn darkened tiles on). At this stage, the only kind you should attack are archers, as they are feeble in close combat. You should attack them with your swordsman hero, who should be standing in the woods for better cover. Be careful not to attack while adjacent to two or more orcs, as all of them will retaliate simultaneously.

Eventually, you should start hunting orcs with squads of 60+ volunteers or pikemen, and save the swordsmen.

7) Where to direct your questions
The forum seems a little slow at the moment. If you need your question to be answered more rapidly, do ask it on the forum for posterity, but direct it to the clans as well. Each clan has their own in-game forum. For instance, that of The Empire is here: http://terrabellica.com/clan/0/1/38016

Very Nice, hopefully this will help keep more active players.

Thanks for the guide. Very helpful.

I "started again" thinking I'd take your advice but I didn't get my level 3 hero that joined me from my first try and I also ended up in a not better place anyway. Is there a way to go back to where I was? at least I had a level 3 hero, now I just have the level 1 hero I start with.

I did the same thing, as long as you find a good place to settle your village, you should do fine. I dropped my settlers on the road thinking I could make the last 3 cells movement with them and dropped my town instead, restarted and lost my free level 3 hero. I found a nice spot to settle then felt a bit sad that my progress would be hamstrung by lacking a more buff hero. Managed to get myself back on my feet and move forward. Worked my backside off to get 100 Gold for settlers for a second village, and in my rush, I bought a Heroine instead. Another 100 gold later, I had my settlers and placed my second village.

It is my 16th day, and I am still well capable of paying my tribute, my Citadels are prosperous, and I see no reason to leave the Dark Aura just yet. You can recover from a slow start, in fact, if you are a thickwit like me, it may help to learn to be more conservative and patient with your resources.

As for returning to your previous location, I do not think that possible without taking a long walk, as I restarted on the same continent, and wound up in a wholly different location. YMMV.

I will add that finding a mine location is preferably done sooner than later, for when the Tribute begins to ask for metal, you want to be able to pay it, the Dark aura is truly a boon for new players. I will try to hold onto it as long as possible, so far, I am well on schedule to day 21!

Thanks Scrod!
I should have my first settler by tomorrow.

Oh by the way my hero is at 2/50 HP fighting ranged orcs (with 20 swordsmen, and now 18). Is she going to die if I attack when she's at 2 hp?

And how does HP regenerate? (every hour?)

Maybe, Ive only had one hero die on me, I forget how many units were with him when he did, I do know that I had to wait 20 or so hours to be able to resurrect him at my tavern, somewhat inconvenient. HP will regenerate over time, I tend to leave my Heroes occupying the cell with low HP as their health improves and then attacking the Orc occupied cell/tile when HP has restored.

Laura, the HP only reflect the health of the last unit in your stack. For instance, if you have a stack of 5 swordsmen, and your HP is 2/50, it would mean that their total HP amount is 4 healthy swordsmen * 50 HP + 2 HP for the wounded swordsman. If an opponents hits you for 3 HP, your wounded swordsman will die and you'll be left with 3 healthy swordsmen * 50 HP + 49 HP for the wounded swordsman.

Heroes have 100 HP by default (I think, might be wrong). If your hero has 1 swordsman with 50 HP and is hit for 151 damage, your hero will instantly die. If the hero is hit for 149 damage, he will survive with 1 HP.
Speculation: I suspect that it's possible to survive with 0 HP, because damage uses fractions and you'll stay alive if you have 0.1 HP, for instance, which would be shown as 0.

On regeneration, your hero regenerates 100% of the stack unit HP in 24 hours. If their max HP is 50, that would mean they regenerate about 2 HP per hour, regardless of their current health.

Thank you Humanophage and Scrod for the clarification.

Indeed units get consumed first before the Hero get damaged.

So, now the only way I'd get more swordsmen is via fencing school?

Fencing school or you can buy more from the market.

Okay now I've got no free space to build any building in my Citedal

I'm afraid that I'm missing an important building. Which of these buildings are not important?

City Walls + Citedal + Barracks + Tavern + Fencing School + Factory
Market + School + Workshop + Archery Butts + Roads + Stables

Am I missing an important building?
I know I cannot go without Factory and Roads these are extremely essential.