1. Shield - then you can't be attacked.

> I've been sending all my troops to harvest mines, though I suspect I'm left open to attack while I do that.

Unless you have used a Safe Conduct you are.

Note that the higher the rss level, the faster the yielding and the greater the amounts. This is why players stay in or near the Dark Forest. The closer to center / Eternal Fortress, at 256:512, the higher the camp level.

>  I'm also completing quests non stop as fast as I can get them, not straying outside what's been suggested

Which is good, but only due to the rewards they bring.

> other than to upgrade farms if I start running a food deficit.

It is arguable that troops aren't needed, leaving nothing to be fed, and no food deficit results. Except ... how does one yield without troops?

> So my question is, what the hell am I supposed to be doing?

2. Join the largest order you can. They will help will all of this, particularly advice and rss.

> I know there's more to the game than this.

Arguably, pick one rss type, one troop type, and focus on houses (or infirmaries). At high levels, a single barrack takes more than a day to train troops, so you'll have time to log back in and start another round of training.

If you can accept that you will be demolishing buildings, you can raise many barracks initially to grow many troops for yielding, then demolish and create infirmaries or houses (silver) later.

>  I'm 21st level, so I think that makes me open to attack, right?

See 1. above.

Without shields, everyone is always open to attack. It's just that below level 6 the raiders don't get any of your rss.

> I've no idea if my town is defensible

It isn't, there is always a bigger bully just around the corner. See 1.

> if I should be building more troops or what kind

Pick one. Arguably, pick Ram for greatest yielding capacity, then something else, later. As Rams die, replace them with the other.

> if I should be relocating my town somewhere

This is a hard call. Stay near the edges and focus on hitting L1 assailants, or stay near the center for hitting L6 camps. Former for multiple hits and increasing hit bonuses, latter for many yieldings at once. (Marches taking time, which matters less on yielding, except others will get to your tile before you will.)

Nice thing about OvO and KvK is you can experiment in jumping to the enemy kingdom instead of using up relocates.

> I pretty much winged it when it came to picking my hero skills.

Eventually you will want profiles, such as Battle or Farm. Early on focus on march speed or farm type. And if food economy > 100%, troops won't eat food.

> If I even had a short term goal to focus on, that would help.  Any guides or advice that can be sent my way would be vastly appreciated.

Focus big buildings - studies require and endless amount of rss and silver. Focus assailant gear to make getting gear cheaper - all good things come from gear, and gear comes from assailants.

'Bible': https://plarium.com/forum/en/throne-kingdom-at-war/fan-guides/70089_test-s-assailant-guide/

Farming: https://plarium.com/forum/en/throne-kingdom-at-war/fan-guides/104350_guide-hyper-farm/

Guides: https://plarium.com/forum/en/throne-kingdom-at-war/fan-guides/

Joining the largest order you can can't be stressed enough. When they achieve, so do you with gold and boosts which lets you grow faster. And often some have more rss than they can use and will send it to you, which lets you grow faster.