[SafeKeeper]

One of the reasons why Dominions II rules, I believe, is the CREATIVITY put into it by the makers. Sure, they didn't come up with Jotunheimen or Atlantis or Dragons. BUT they implemented new cultures that were not old cliches such as the "classic" "Man-Dwarf-Elf-Orc" universe.

Dominions II is a great game because the developers dared implement "new" cultures instead of cowardly resorting to cliches like Tolkien because such things guarantee sales.

"Abysians? Spider-mounted.. Africans? R'Lyeh? Acrose-who? Never heard of 'em, fans won't like 'em, hand me the Elves."

Implementing new cultures also allows for much more creative game play. Instead of being stuck with "Orcish", Elven, Dwarven, and Tolkien-Human behaviour, diplomacy, culture, and history, for example, you can bring in a whole new cultures and actually be creative, thus creating a new gaming experience.

Illwinter Productions actually took their time to work on new elements for their game. Granted there's a lot of old stuff, like the fire ball and the dragon. But the huge amount of new things overrides that.

I'm a fan of D&D, Warhammer, Lord of the Rings, and all those games as much as you are. But Dominions II isn't the place for those universes. So for the fans of the good ol' cliche universe: I urge you to reconsider. Just that the Skaven were in a best-selling games doesn't qualify them for Dominions II. In my eye, it goes a long way towards disqualifying them, however.