[Fantomen]

Hey Happygeek, don´t hesitate to get into MP. The community is VERY friendly, noob games are set up regularily (or set it up yourself, it´s easy with Llamaserver.net), and don´t worry about the endgame balance issues until you´ve seen one.

Also, while I consider myself a competitive player, I have yet to win a MP game. Considering how many players each game has, say average 12, and how long time it takes to finish one. You can statistically play for years without winning even if you´re on par with other players in skill. My point being that it is fun to lose also. Roleplaying, plotting, testing ideas. Not to mention that winning just ONE war against an equal or better player is a game in itself!

I think the endgame whining is (a bit) exaggerated, the games I played so far my success have been more dependant on diplomacy, luck and early establishment of resources.