[Saxon]

I think that the real world has a huge impact on how I play the game. I get an hour a night, at most, after baby and wife go to sleep, so I can not mess about much or commit to MP. I tend to play one nation, for good or ill, on a medium map for a couple of weeks, then switch to a new nation. A large map just takes too long and the small maps don’t let me develop the nation beyond the low levels. Victory points are sometimes used to add extra excitment and challenge, but I have found the AI is fairly easily outwitted in that area.

I learn a lot about each nation, but do not become an expert by any means. I just don’t have the time to try out all the different options or ways of playing one race. I also don’t have time to manage the huge empires a large map would bring or to power game a MP match like my competitive spirit would demand.

I play with max gems and easy research. I love the magic and turn it up as high as I can. I also have not even touched MA or LA, as they have less magic. With so many different nations to play, I just love the idea that I have been playing for months and have not even looked in on two thirds of the game's options.

I play with the sound off, purely because of the child in the next room. I love the fact that I don’t need to upgrade the computer to play the game, as the household budget does not like the idea of a new computer. I should have taken different scales!