[llamabeast]

I agree with everyone else!

When choosing a first nation, I reckon Arcoscephale is a very good choice, particularly if you are playing Late Age. They are interesting but fairly easy to get a grasp of. If you choose Middle Age I'd go with Marignon (exciting fire mages), Man, Ulm or Arco, and if you choose Early Age I think Sauromatia is great - or Arco again. But all the nations are very interesting and cool, you can't go wrong really.

Oh, these names will of course seem very weird, so here's translations for the ones I've mentioned:

Arcoscephale - Like the Greeks, with hoplites and also elephants
Man - A bit like Arthurian England, I think
Ulm - Germanic, lots of heavy armour
Marignon - Feels Spanish to me, apparently French in fact - anyway, it's all Inquisition and "burn the heretics!"
Sauromatia - Based on the Amazons (not the South American kind) - great cavalry, great archers and great mages so lots of fun