For mods, I'm ok with skipping most the CB mod, however at least Worthy Heroes and CB Pretenders and Scales seem fairly straightforward even for people not used to them.
Yeah, I've mostly played vanilla, so I'd rather play with the least amount of mods (that I am unused to), but I can see the need for atleast CB pretenders.
No renaming will take getting used to. (Yes, I like renaming my mages according to their spell paths, but its a dirty habit anyway.)
Oh, and EA is cooler than MA
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I'm in the IDF. (So any new reply by me is a very rare event.)
I'm definately with QM and Ygorl on mods - CB pretenders and scales are generally straightforward, you don't have to relearn the entire game if you've been playing vanilla, and Worthy Heroes just makes heroes, heroes.
For those worrying about the game taking too long as it goes on : No diplo really makes the turns a lot quicker.
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Wormwood and wine, and the bitter taste of ashes.