How about becoming good with the unpopular nations as a solution? Personally I really can't stand playing as the most popular ones like Ryleh, Ermor or Agartha - a combination of playstyle and lore make me dislike them. I'm not entirely sure which nations are particularly unpopular, but Arcosephale is one of my favorites and I don't see too many people playing it. I also enjoy Marverni though I have yet to come up with a good strategy for them. [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Panda.gif[/img]
Most of the nations in the game are fairly balanced to be able to win in MP situations with the right tactics and diplomacy. Some nations are better than others of course, but for a game with 50 different sides I think it's balanced pretty evenly! So just choose one that looks interesting and hasn't been picked in a game you want to join and try it out! Not joining a game because your favorite nation has already been chosen is just silly.
