[B0rsuk]

You are all wrong.
The point is not so much that Dominions nations are original. They aren't really that fresh. Anyone who had even minimal education can see that (syntax: X is heavily by Y)

C'tis - ancient Egypt
Marignon - medieval Spain
Machaka - african tribes in general
Man - Britannia ? (I'm no expert on this one)
Mictlan - It's the name of Aztec god(ess) of rain. Also name of Aztec underworld.
Arcoscephale - ancient Greece
Pythium, Ermor - Rome
Jotunheim - vikings
T'ien Chi - China
...

And it's not like these are light influences. In many/most cases you can google/wikipedia for things like Pazuzu, Tien Chi hero names, Mictlan, etc.
That's not the point, as I said.

The point is that execution is superb. Modern fantasy-themed games feel just that - modern. Because they are modern. There's no depth in them. Literacy is something normal - even expected in modern fantasy-themed game. How often are you (your character, or any other) unable to read something in such games ? Was literacy really that common thorought history ? I wouldn't say that. Even today LOTS of people are illiterate in China/India. And not just there.
In most medieval/ancient societies woman warriors would be ostracized - not to mention melee combat DOES require physical strenght and endurance. Women aren't allowed to join military in most of today's world countries.
Or something different: Bear Claw talisman. It says it's a very manly talisman, and a woman wearing it would probably have a low voice, or even grow a beard. How cool is that ? It's exactly the kind of thing you hear about if you learn a bit of history, and exactly the kind of thing you don't see in modern fantasy games. Another thing - modern games are pretty much atheistic, or monotheistic. There aren't many gods in them - or no gods at all. Oh, you may see a few in AD&D/Forgotten Realms/Whatever games, but they usually look as if people didn't care about gods. Tendency to "produce" gods is very natural to humans, but very rare in fantasy games. How many temples are there in Baldur's Gate ? There are some, but they are there mostly to allow healing (hmpf). You don't see people attending to them, and there's no ceremonies. No shrines in people's houses. If you see a ceremony it's most of the time some kind of evil cult you have to stop from sacrificing someone etc. You never see sailors refusing to sail because stars aren't right. You rarely see someone refusing to act because it's against his faith/beliefs. You don't see women washing clothes in river. No people gathering around campfire to tell stories. No farmers, even herders are rare.It's as if these people don't eat anything. I suppose they're all still hunters and fruit/nut collectors. No people chanting while seeding the land/harvest.
Heavy sacrasm: but at least they can read and write.

Summary - towns/communities in modern fantasy games don't look like societies at all, they're bunch of people and random buildings thrown together. They're very inhuman and artificial. Modern fantasy games negate history and sociology. Dominions draws deeply from history. It makes nations feel real, because everything is there for a reason and fits. Not because designer had to fill some empty space.Not a cut&paste work. Dominions' developers made sure all pieces connect.