[FarAway Pretender]

1) The AI is good (as far as PC games go, which is admittedly NOT stiff company). The lack of super-scriptable orders for your units means the human advantage isn't ridiculous, at least until later in the game. After 6 months of hardcore SP, I've figured out some of the AI patterns, but it's still fun to compete against.

2) Really, the game is DEEPER than it claims. So many of the factions play completely differently from each other. It's hard to explain how differently one faction plays from another until you try it. Each faction has its own replay value, because you have to puzzle out how to succeed with each one.

3) I don't have time to game every day (wife, job, etc.), so I enjoy just doing PBEM w/friends and play mostly just SP. That's a minority on this board, but as was posted here, I don't think it's a minority of all the Dom2 owners. The hardcore D2 players here are much more active--those games are much more competitive and fast-moving.

4) Best way to expand: Don't overexpand. It took me a long time to appreciate the value of not outstripping my own Dominion (this is especially true until you've mastered some of the tricks of the game). It took me almost as long to figure out the importance of not letting an AI army go romping through my backyard. Once they breach my borders, I can spend 5 or 6 turns chasing them. I generally like to secure all my borders and then expand in one direction for a while.