[Omnirizon]

my understanding of what the dev team looks for in balance is simply that a single nation does not force most other nations into a particular course of action simply to counter that nation.

thus, why LA R'yleh and Ermor are considered unbalanced by most, because they must be dealt with very deliberately and specifically, forcing other players to take _special_ action against them, thus reducing the possibilities from the player's perspectives in the game.

I think Hinnom falls into this category too. I see some players saying "they're not unbalanced, all you have to do is have EVERYBODY gang up on them, so therefore they are automatically rebalanced." That is NOT balance. I will NOT join an MP game where the first twenty to thirty turns of my game are dictated to me by the simple presence of another nation, before the game has even randomized placement and the game world. That is not balance, and it is not good MP gaming in Dominions.

Now, I don't expect all nations to be absolutely equal either, it is simply impossible, and this is where that diplomatic balance comes into play. But no nation should crystalize the diplomatic landscape of a game into a particular form before the game even starts.