Kat2: Advice needed comparing AoW4 w AoW3 for someone whose main concern is solo gaming on random maps against AI opponents. I enjoy AoW 3 this way but a feature I'd like to have is the ability to control which races appear in Random games. For example I don't like Luck, which I assume halflings have (they have Luck in Master of Magic) so I didn't buy the AoW3 expansion that added halflings. In AoW4 Random games could I, for example, decide to have only orc & human towns (not counting race of heroes in my race exclusions) so the armies I'd build in conquering the random map could only be orcs or humans? BTW if u play AoW3 and know a way to choose which races would appear in random map towns, plz mention how.

Plok_HR: The whole point of AoW4's racial system is that there are no strict racial bonuses. You get to pick two traits per race, and the pre-populated races you can edit at will (which is what the AI picks).

alcaray: I actually don't like this feature. It makes all the races only cosmetically different. I'm used to and prefer that the different races have intrinsic differences.

Plok_HR: On the other hand, you can have a collection of races you've made that play differently from each other, so it's not a complete loss imo.

alcaray: Dunno. Elf miners that swing axes and airy fairy dwarves just don't do it for me.

Plok_HR: Units are more generic than that, and are later transformed if you research single-use spells that modify their damage types, magic focus, appearance etc.

alcaray: I actually don't like this feature. It makes all the races only cosmetically different. I'm used to and prefer that the different races have intrinsic differences.