[Septimius Severus]

Well, squirrel, I've noticed your having access to Tartarians hasn't helped your team much against the Deva's. If it is the path to victory, I haven't seen it yet. In fact I might say that exploiting the Mysterios and Blessed might be ACGHHS true path to victory in this game.

I do have a soft spot for history, and the dominions nations are based loosely on it. Dominions seems to mix elements of fantasy with games like Rome Total War. The game also reminds me a little of an old SSG or SSI game called Warlords? Anyone remember it?

As I said, haven't said I will go with pre-set teams (why does that notion seem to stick in some players heads?). Your suggestion regarding geographic themes doesn't really satisfy my desire for specific team strengths and weaknesses as much the path based option. It also means pre-set nations, which reduces choice and freedom.

Most newer players don't necessarily play the way some veterans might, and not everyone plays the way you might. For them and for me it is exploring the game and the possibilites. And doing things that reduce the fun of the game to hoarding, or other such things, I just don't see the need.

Most of my games have never made it to late game anyway and are geared towards noobs. The veterans sole purpose in the games is to teach the noobs about the game in its entirety not just specific strategies that may apply to an endgame scenario which might never happen if teams are eliminated before then.

Of course if you wish to start a game that caters to the dueling crowd and/or some vets and the strategies they use, using those geographic themes you certainly can do so. There is so much more to the game than that in my opinion.

Regarding banning any nations, well have I ever banned a nation? That should give you your answer. If we were using the multi-age mod (a possibility I am looking into), yes I might consider it, as it stands, moving from one age to another to keep things simple, the most I might be persuaded to do is reserve Ashdod for the AI.