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

[PvK]

I think it's a very well-done and interesting poll.

I still haven't played with all of the nations, but I've at least looked at nearly all of them.

I find that I have multiple play styles, or that my play style adapts to the nation and god choice, at least to a certain degree.

There are some that seem to fit my taste and styles better than others, though. It also changes a bit as I learn more magic tricks, and depending on whom I'm playing against and what the research and magic site settings are - sometimes the settings make it a bad idea to focus more or less on different kinds of magic. With Very Hard research, one wouldn't want to base a strategy around high-level magic. With very common site frequency, one would want to be able to find sites and use magic gems, and not place too much stock in, say, Ulmish armor!

PvK

[Truper]

I choose the "I haven't even played all the nations" answer to the 1st question. There a still a few nations/themes I haven't tinkered with beyond designing a quikie pretender and starting up a game just to see what the units look like.

For number of Favorites, I chose one, because I have one clear favorite, though I enjoy and play several nations.

That favorite nation is Vanheim standard theme.

I chose straightforward/uncomplicated as the reason why, although there are certainly a lot of ways the nation can be played. What I was getting at is that I like both Air and Earth magic a lot, and have a clear idea of what to do with both of them. I hem and haw over strategies for Astral magic for instance - that's partly because I'm a summoner at heart.

I chose just don't try to draw conclusions since even though I chose to respond to it, I don't think polls like this are very valuable

[Demosthenes]

I tend to play the same nations even though I haven't played them all. But most of the fun for me is trying to create play styles and then execute them. It's what IMO opinion makes Dom2 so fun, you can deliberately play in so many different ways.

I like to make metagames out of my gaming.

heh.

[Schmoe]

I chose Machaka as my favorite nation. They are very diverse, with access to decent magic and solid troops. They have the tools for a number of different strategic options. Of course, there are so many different ways to play Machaka that I still can't say that I've found one that works well for me, but I'm having fun One idea that I've had was to go with very strong dominion, either Restless Worshippers or Ceremonial Faith, and really push dominion with the Ears of the Lord. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but it could be fun.

If I ever get off my Machaka kick, I'll probably explore Vanheim Helheim or C'Tis Miasma. I tried one game with Helheim and was completely lost, so that would be a fun challenge. I'd also like to see how a strong dominion defensive strategy works with Miasma. Tien'Chi S&A looks very interesting, too, but they are further down on my list.

Honestly, each nation represents weeks upon weeks of playing time. I can't see how anyone could possibly have a good understanding of every different nation and theme.

[Cohen]

I answered Abysya (both themes) and Marignon (all themes except CotS, I dislike that guerrilla raiding).

I like Ulm too however, except the BF theme.
And I'm getting in fond of Pythium even if not liking it a lot, since I notice in a game my allied player Pythium is doing pretty well where I often failed.

I find them to suit my gameplay.

I like a lot blood, and strong national troops, usually HI and Cavalry or both of them (I like a little Man, but infantry isn't so heavy and disciplined.)

I believe my choices are not 1st tier, since I believe they're Ermor and Air magic based nations like Vanheim and Caelum (I dislike them a lot because they're too strong IMO).

I like too Arco because I'm fond in ancient grece too, and ancient rome ... well I'm Italian, my land is fullfilled of this ancient lore.

I dislike what I see as mass poorly equipped troops like Mictlan and Machaka (well big spiders aren't so mass ... but ... I like humans - I considers Aybsyans uber-humans elite troops).
I love hand-to-hand combat and dislike those michievous raiders like Thuathas and Vans.
Don't like too to be under sea ^^

Well probably I expanded my answer to my feelings about many races so I stop myself there.

[HJ]

Abysia and Niefelheim. Plain, hardhitting, powerful, and relaxing to play without too much micro. And it suits my play style well (I always choose fighters in RPGs). Ulm would be the third, but leading stocky humans is not nearly as impressive thought as leading hellhumans and frost giants. For the same reasons, I'll probably never play Vanheim, Tuatha, or Caelum.

[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)