[LupusFatalis]

If you think about it Overlords may have started with a 3:1 lead in every thinkable way. But Machaka and Ashdod started with a potential battle on potentially 5 fronts. T'ien Ch'i on 6. Marignon only had 4 fronts to deal with, and logistically it wasn't a matter of running cross country to do it. R'lyeh may have had 6 fronts (before he gave himself more), but if I have to gear up to make an enemy of a nation I'm not well suited to dealing with, thanks but no thanks. I don't mean to downplay Baalz' or Atul's abilities, but they did have less to deal with. And Ashdod seems to have successfully made some allies where TC and Machaka have not.

So I guess what I'm saying is, while any one normal might have to step lightly around an Overlord. An Overlord would do well to go with the name of the game and actually be an Overlord in the spirit of the word. Were I to play one, it'd be well worth the gems, money, tactical assistance, etc... to convert those potential enemies into allies. Even though I might not "get" anything standard from them.

And in response to whomever wanted to see the start locations. Start an overlords game on the map with all the starting players involved. Not hard. If your fooled by a VP symbol over an empty province you've got bigger fish to fry. *teases*

-- At the moment only definitive suggestion for "Overlords 2" should there be one is to have a very well balanced map prepped in advance.