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I wrote up a really long reply with a lot of examples, but I got bored reading it myself. I think a system like this would be great for adding flavor for special MP/tournament maps, as well as opening up a much bigger playspace for player-made SP scenarios. I hope when the developers setup the "Shepherds of Creation" scenario it made them yearn for some more options like this, so maybe things are already happening in DomIII.

Think of all the options you can make with programmable combinations of Triggers (like "Turn# = X" or "Pretender/Nation X defeated" or "Total units in the game > X"), Actions (like "Message 'x' to all", or "Alliance between AI nation X and Y", or "Event X happens in a random province of nation Y"), and Recurrance (do it once, do it every N turns, N% to do it each turn). You could even use these just to improve the "strategic AI" by giving programming Fort/lab events to AI opponents at intervals.

Think of the story ideas lurking that could create new scenarios and maps with tools like this, the same way communities of map/scenario creators sprung up for FPS games, and games like MythII, and Wesnoth, etc. Imagine logging onto Arryn's site and finding hundreds of scripted SP scenario .map files to play, instead of a handfull and some randomizer scripts as options.

Sill