I disagree with this. Unbalanced magic can certainly be fun, but it's not required for magic to be fun. Subtle magic can also have a huge impact, especially on atmosphere. However, in order for subtle magic to work you need to have more granularity in game systems. I don't know if you've played D&D or not, but it's a good example (at least V3.5 and lower) of having a lot of detailed systems that interact with each other. It has a magic systems with spells that scale well from subtle effects to awe inspiring acts of apocalyptic destruction. But in order for the more subtle spells to work, you need to have systems in place to be able to deal with (and make relevant) item/person location, long/short distance communication, state of mind, etc. That list could to on for awhile, which is why any video game based on D&D struggles to capture that flexibility.

It sounds like this will address the upper end of the spell spectrum (unbalanced spells) quite well. I think it might be more difficult (and therefore, maybe not feasible) to fill out the lower end (subtle spells), since it would require more detailed systems on the 'micro' (relative) scale. Many of these spells are on an individual level, so you normally only see spells on that power level in tactical battles. Individual situations other than combat would have to be included and tapped somehow in order to include other more subtle types of spells to their fullest potential. Just look at Wormtongue from LoTR to see how much chaos subtle magic can cause!

It sounds like you guys are thinking out of the box to make something different which I REALLY appreciate. I hope that you are able to maintain the feeling of intimate connection with the world that was afforded by interacting through a customized sovereign. This aspect of the game is a huge factor in why I enjoy it over other 4X titles, since typically 4X games are represented solely through interactions with cities and armies/(and sometimes)heroes. Aside from that, my tiny ant brain doesn't really like managing a ton of armies and a ton of cities. These games have provided a believable and effective way to play, where I didn't have to do that in order to win. So whatever you guys do, I implore you to keep the player/sovereign connection in mind and try to maintain it!

Without any regrets.

Seems i'm the only one... but I kinda like the rotating camera.  

I guess so long as you can still change view like with the hotkeys it would be ok.

What would be really really awesome would be a LH 2.0 64 bit version that can make use of extra RAM.

nooo!! don't make me need to upgrade again....

I'm going to post some of this in the other article but I don't want to derail that discussion to much.  

What sold me on Fallen Enchantress was faction creation and unit design.  That being said, I get why you want to go in a different direction for the next game.  Faction differentiation is a worthy goal.  However, you may want to think about allowing some minor customization within each faction (if you aren't already).  I think the traits system in FE/LH is a good idea to explore further.  Perhaps each faction could have their own unique traits to choose from so players can engage in some minor customization and don't always play each faction the exactly same way.  

And while I can see that allowing players to design units from the ground up is complex, a few minor graphical changes to units based on upgrades (different sword, cape, etc) could likely be done in a smoother way.

Sounds really interesting, glad you're still investing time in the Elemental universe. I personally think an asymmetric game where you have a series of challenges to overcome without necessarily having four AIs doing the exact same kind of thing as you at the exact same time could be really cool. It might work best in some sort of campaign mode, where you can have a story that you have encountered an old empire which you have to destroy or make your friends, but having said that you could presumably get a similar effect if a sandbox mode allowed you to specify the size and passivity of enemy empires. For example, you could start a game against a very large but fairly passive empire that will not declare war on you unless you provoke them. In general I like the kind of games where you have to "beat great odds". In a game like that you could also experiment with various game changing spells to see what strategy worked best; you could try to build up a mini-empire to increase your resources before the old empire decides you're a threat and declares war; you could try to befriend them so as to increase the time you have to build up; or maybe there could even be an alliance victory option, maybe you have to complete a big quest for them so they agree to ally with you.

I would definitely be interested in a game like that, where there might be some basic 4X mechanics but fundamentally it's you against the world, and you're going to have to rely on something other than out-expanding the AIs to win.

The description of "elemental 3"  ( Can we call it like that? ) really reminds me of Master of Magic. Which is not a bad thing

I am curious as to what the visual style of the game will be. Honestly I was not a big fan of the Cartoonish style of the other games. Glad to hear that StarDock is doing well. You guys are my favourite company when it comes to PC games.

Uh, it may just me, but it sounds like this whole things is kinda dumping out the baby with the bath water. The tech tree makes more sense to me than just making what's built in your city dictate what units can you build. Also, i rather liked the ability to customize units to your preference, I and others didn't see anything much wrong with custom units, so why change that now? Custom ships worked for GC2, why not custom units in the new game? Finally, how does the sovereign improve their abilities if they can't adventure, if there is no tech tree and no ability for them to adventure? Does the sovereign make an appearance bodily to help defend your capital if it is attacked? Somehow, I don't know if the long-term effects have been properly thought out by Stardock with the changes that are being proposed. Then again, that is just me. What do ya'll think?

It sounds like the "new game" mentioned is something very different from WoM / FE / LH, and not intended to be the next iteration of FE:LH.  A different game altogether, but still set in the world of Elemental.

I would hope we get to see FE 2 one day in the future, and that it will include all the good stuff in FE:LH including unit designs, tech tree etc...

Frankly, I've become bored with LH.   I'm ready for some big changes; no matter what they are.  And I do like to have to explore and try different things.

How very MoM-like of you. And something I like, as well.

Do you run any mods?

I got somewhat bored of LH rather quickly too.  The game is good for sure but I think for a combination of many small reasons It did not click with me as much as would have liked.

I tried some mods and they added some novelty but in the end it still felt like the same game but with different tweaks.

I think one of the main reason I did not click with LH as much as I might have is not enough immersion. Here are a few points off the top of my head.

-I am not a fan of the cartoonish art style

-The music does not appeal to me all that much.

-I find the civ leaders are a bit bland and lack personality. 

-The strategic aspect is a bit overshadowed by the RPG elements.

I've been playing it for a long time   It has lost its variety and is less challenging.  New wildlands and quests would help.