Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!

[Tricon]

Nice poll.

I can't really say why I like the themes/nations that I play more often then the rest. ... The three nations I play most are:
Pythium SC (yup, I'm the one)- mainly roleplaying reasons... it is really NOT a competative theme;
Marignion standard - oh, how I love to cleanse the world of infidels
and Ermor AE- oh, how I love to cleanse the world, period.


I have no style... other thean that I like to constantly try something new (which keeps me from being very good with one nation, but what the heck)

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by HJ:
Abysia and Niefelheim. Plain, hardhitting, powerful, and relaxing to play without too much micro. [...] For the same reasons, I'll probably never play Vanheim

Heh - if you like hardhitting, powerful, braindead troops, you should try an Einheriar-heavy Vanheim at least once. I'm confident you won't be displeased.

[Frosted Flake]

I love Neifelheim. jarls with wraith swords are wrecking crews,you get worthwhile PD and good access to blood - whats not to love. I am also enjoying R'leh but new to it, something very amusing about playing awful squid things from space

Frosted Flake

[chrispedersen]

Wow.. Where to start..
I love Ermor, Ashen empire only.
I love man, who needs themes?
I can play Ctis as I like the dancers.
I love Mictlan.
Pangaie is fun, and I like the age of iron option (whatever they call it).
Arcosephale - I only like Golden Era. I love philosophers, fast research trail,mind burn,soul slay.
Jotunheim I like - cheap mages, and boy can they tear down forts.
Pythium is cool, although I don't much go for hydras.
Caelum raiding is...incredibly fun, although I generally cant stand the "nerve wracking, constantly moving" pace.
I love the Autumn & Spring of Tien.. An age of heros.


On the other hand:
Can't stand ULM, boring, weak
Marignon.. Might as well call them Iran to me - although I know its more a Teutonic theme.
Machkava. Spiders are for squishing, not playing with.
Vanheim. Worthy foes. Too expensive.
Ryleh is fun.. but I cant stand loosing priests to the void gate.
Atlantis is just boooooooring.
Abyssia... I know everyone likes em. Too expensive, slow for my style of play. Must admit.. watching troops becoming flaming marshmallows is fun..

Favorite subtlety:
With Death 9, as your troops and leaders die, they become souless. Accumulate enough of them for your own "free" amphibious force. Good enough to take that first water hex....


Best

[tinkthank]

hey thanks so much for participating so far -- interesting. Very few nations as to this posting with zero votes at all....

[Schmoe]

Just out of curiousity, what is wrong with Caelum Return of the Raptors? They get good access to both Air and Death magic, two very strong schools, and the mages seem reasonably priced. It looks as though they could do quite well.

[Boron]

i didn't expect that abysia is the most liked race so far . i wonder why ermor has quite few votes
i myself like abysia too and one of my votes was for abysia but that they are the most liked so far surprises me a bit

[Gandalf Parker]

Overall Id say it looks great. No real "zeros", and the default themes are generally ahead of the sub-themes. I think thats how the developers wanted it. And its rather an amazing achievment.
I know of alot of games with only 3 or 5 choices that got it so messed up that a poll like this would end up with nearly 100% all agreeing on one.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Schmoe:
Just out of curiousity, what is wrong with Caelum Return of the Raptors? They get good access to both Air and Death magic, two very strong schools, and the mages seem reasonably priced. It looks as though they could do quite well.

They have no randoms, their upper-class mage and only (lousy)priest is capitol-only, and their earth magic is low-level and not, by default, capable of reaching the level needed to actually forge boots/hammers. They also lose out on national cold immunity, as the Raptors are not cold-immune and are harmed by the cold-3 dominion.

Plus it's just a general pain in the *** to be unable to build any kind of national priest outside of the capitol, and your only priest is rather expensive and isn't actually a very GOOD priest, to boot - at least the Elder is mobile thanks to trapezing, though.

[Kel]

I still experiment a lot but so far, I like Arco, Aby and Miasma the best.

I play Aby when I want a fast start via a blood nation (occasionally BF Ulm but mostly Aby). Small maps, blitzes, etc. Not a lot of micro, not a lot of re-scripting mages, etc. but still effective.

I play Miasma because I like the potential for tartarians and the Miasma effect helps me get to them and can otherwise be a nice MP tool. I also like Miasma because I think they are a bit of a challenge (compared to Aby and Arc, anyway), due to their, imo, abysmal national troops. Otoh, I love marshmasters. I probably play Miasma the most, of the three, since I feel like I haven't *quite* got my finger on them yet

I play Arco (mostly default but sometimes GE) when I want to do well and have tons of time to script mages, complicated communions, teleports,, excessive artifacting, etc. I don't play them defensively but I think more long term with them (large or underpopulated maps).

I don't really dislike any nations except maybe dead Ermor(AE or SG), for reasons that would only spark a dead horse debate

- Kel