My former TBS game experiences :
King's Bounty (1990 , and later series) , Master of Magic , Civilization all series, Age of Wonder series, Dominions 3, Fallen Enchantress , Eador :Genesis

In my mind Eador : MOTBW is a tbs game mixed Homm series and dominions 3 features, plus its unique capital to province construction system. It's quite complicated because there are hundred of buildings in castle and hundred of units/spells. I can realize that they wanna use some "sort out" methods for buildings , like the "wheel". The pace in this game is very slow , each hero only can do one thing per turn except buy/repair items, learn spells , and recruit armies.

Eador : MOTBW is a incomplete (or nearly complete) game at release date , said by so many people and so many times. I agree with that , there are so many important features missing like windowed mode, hotseat mode and multiple selectable races. So let's talk about the cons/bugs at first :

1. Technology issues: there are still many bugs around , sometimes you lose control at main screen. Sometimes you got stuck while examine a new discovered location. And the attack-guard bug is silly. In combat sometimes unicorns make bugs while fallen.

2. Fps issue : Eador: MOTBW is a beautiful game while in max video settings. But it's a turn-based game that eats a lot of resource even on high-end computer. During combat the fps drops drastically, I hope they can fix this problem soon.

3. No windowed mode : it's what I very concerned , because Eador is a slow paced game, very slow paced. It's just like Anno series in RTS. And the AIs think(act) for very long time, you can't do anything while they are thinking. It's very annoying.

4. Only one playable race : The important feature of Homm/AoW series is multiple races. And in domions 3 , you got millions of choices with Race-God-Magic-Dominion combination, that greatly increases replay value. So I hope there are more races to select in this game.

5. Broken Diplomacy in single player game: Comparing to Civ series, the diplomacy feature in this game is quite limited , nearly broken.

Even with those deflects , it's still a great game, it has such pros:

1. Mixed Grand strategy and turn-based combat , with special and detailed buildings. You build a building in your stronghold, then controlled provinces get their buildings upgrade(even you only can upgrade 1-2 per turn).

2. Restrained heroes : In many TBS games , late game new heroes still can lead large armies to crush invading enemies. It won't happen in this game. Also magical heroes has very limited armies comparing to commanders.

3. Limited magical power: In many games arch mages just boom-boom with their great spell power from beginning to the end. In this game you have to take care of fatigue, every movement costs. Also spell numbers are limited per combat.

4. Detailed and tactical turn-based combat: Both heroes and units take series part in combat. And in the small battlefield there are so many factors to concern. It's a turn-based combat but still tense and exciting.

5. Deadly veteran armies : Units, like heroes can level up too. Old and skillful armies can be lethal. Some experienced magical units can learn powerful spells like resurrection!

6. The way you choose for the game : There are many units/spells , but you have to choose what to use based on your tactics. A little pity there is no way back , but you have some extra mercenaries to help you fill what you need.

7. Great reward : You'll get not only money/crystal or items, but some special items like guard contracts/special buildings. The stronger enemies , the more special items the carries. Sometimes you get extra reward/loss by random events.

8. Negotiatble neutral forces : You don't need to fight all enemies, sometimes you can forge alliance with them by accomplishing what they want.

In my short conclusion about those cons and pros, I gave it 8 out of 10 score. The biggest deflect/letdown is so many tech issues and no windowed mode. The UI , in my mind isn't that bad. There are so many buildings , and they chose the way to filter them. If you played first game you may need some time to adapt it. Once you are used to it, then you'll know how to find specific building quickly.

There are still some missing features they should add:

1. Choose-able hero faces, more female faces
2. Forge magical items using your chosen magics
3. Trade items/contracts in diplomacy
4. Quick combat in arena (bet mode)
5. Travel though further provinces via sea after port/lighthouse upgrade
6. Heroes have their special major in skills/units or other bonus
7. Scout heroes can be invisible for enemies while alone without armies after getting some skill upgrades
8. Some "environmental factors" in unique battlefield, like coffins in deadland, break coffin to get free skeleton
9. Sets or all armor type(ex: all heavy armors in warrior) bonus in a single hero.

With these features and the fix of bugs/issues , I can give it 9.5/10 score for a nearly perfect game

BTW, I don't play multiplayer in Eador series, it's just too slow paced. I would like to enjoy it slowly by myself.

1. I doubt that female heroes ever would be implemented. Bokulev was strictly against it. Mature game doesn't need boobs to attract mature players. And, honestly, beside Jeanne d'Ark, I can't remember any other woman commander.
2. I even remember "Diablo-like system of loot generation" wish.
3. Items - possible. In Genesis, at least. Maybe in motbw it is broken
5. Upgraded port lets you move through 2 sea provinces.
7. No. Infiltrate territory, build fort, hire full stack of units? really?
8. Sounds funny, but... Imagine - you attack small village and find coffin with free skeleton on the middle of the road. "Slightly" stupid, imo.
10. There is ritual, Astral gates in 4th circle.

1. I doubt that female heroes ever would be implemented. Bokulev was strictly against it. Mature game doesn't need boobs to attract mature players. And, honestly, beside Jeanne d'Ark, I can't remember any other woman commander.
There are some default female faces , if you choose AI opponents.

2. I even remember "Diablo-like system of loot generation" wish.
No , as I said the attribute of the items is based on what spells you learned

3. Items - possible. In Genesis, at least. Maybe in motbw it is broken
5. Upgraded port lets you move through 2 sea provinces.
I tried , but I didn't work for 2 sea

7. No. Infiltrate territory, build fort, hire full stack of units? really?
Just some "Scout" working , secretly

8. Sounds funny, but... Imagine - you attack small village and find coffin with free skeleton on the middle of the road. "Slightly" stupid, imo.
There is no village in deadland

10. There is ritual, Astral gates in 4th circle.
Sorry my bad , I removed that

I must be hallucinating then, because they put that perfectly wonderful female warrior in plate in the what, first pages of the manual! Good enough to put in the manual but not have as an option in a game? What a tease! Getting my hopes up for a female character. If Bokulev is strictly against it then he should at least take any female non-monster art out of the manual, otherwise people might get funny ideas.

I'm just a silly girl to maybe, on occasion, as a treat, play a girl in a game with RPG elements. I guess wanting a female hero makes me immature. Duly noted. It's funny, I'm not usually a fire-breathing feminist (ever). But really, having female characters is just a tactic to lure in immature boob-infatuated men? Really? That's insulting to men AND women. Twofer!

Also, no men commanded armies full of harpies and fairies, historically. Please don't drag real world history in to my fantasy TBS game.

Don't worry , I'm the one loves to lead female army. Well, at least in King's Bounty The Legend,
The dryad + fairy are very powerful , also there is a equipment (I remember it's a ruby ring) strengthen female units.

small nsfw, but I wholeheartedly agree with main idea of this comic: http://eatatau.smackjeeves.com/comics/1326895/ad/

Well, Bokulev stated during beta of Genesis that there are only a few women characters because game is about war, and war is not for women.

This game is nothing like anno.. The closest to anno is age of wonders..

this is simple action hackn slash game. Its just works this way - you capture few towns with your hero. Then you start moping the floor in town from graveyards and other places..

And you go straight to enemy base and "kick" his ass... its really fast game.. :D

I mean the pace in Eador is like the pace in Anno (the slowest pace RTS game I have played)
Sometimes giant lands and orcs block the way to your enemies.

War is not for women, but women get caught in war all the time. It's not like a war hangs a sign outside and says "No girlz allowed! ;P". Real war is an ugly thing and does not exclude anyone when it rolls into town. Just because women aren't the generals doesn't mean they aren't involved in the proceedings.

Regardless, I don't think using the real world as a justification for not providing a desired option in a game is silly. We're not all historical simulationists here. Especially when we're in the fantasy genre.

Sometimes I want a bit more immersion in my escapist fantasy gaming, and getting to play your own gender helps.

"because game is about war, and war is not for women."

This sounds like a cultural difference in attitude toward the subject, but apart from historical warfare not actually being that neat and tidy, the modern reality is that women can and do play these sorts of games, about-war as they may be, and thus it certainly doesn't hurt if they're represented in the game.

What about armored princess in Kings Bounty?

I like your style, no kidding.

I understand your gripe, actually, it isn't very satisfying experience when someone confuses your sex. Experienced that a lot when I was younger and had long hair. Joining bear cavalry forces solved the problem, though.

This game is simulation of astral lord which is genderless. And this majestic world treats women as goods. Merchants would gladly buy virgin women, sorcerers steal elven maidens and so on. There is no "social lift" for women.

Though, now that I think about it, It is pretty easy to modify english variant of Genesis, so game would call you Mistress(?). The English language doesn't have same problem as Russian one with different word endings for different genders like спросил - спросила, would be translated as "asked" in both cases.

Big mod for Genesis have significant amount of women units, Drow race, for example, should have a lot of casters, but this mod needs translation and translation from native speakers preferable, not from our side.

I am guessing he didnt have as much control over Broken World as he had over Genesis, where he decided everything alone.

btw..I think Stenriya is sexy, who's with me?

Not really offended by any confusion. I usually assume people on a gaming forum are male until it's explicitly said otherwise. I admit to having been miffed by the tone of your original response. It seemed (incorrectly?) a little...elitist? "Mature gamers" and all that. I didn't like the implication that wanting a female character meant that one was less mature, therefore the opinion didn't matter.

I'd argue that your avatar as the Master isn't the character you're 'playing' for the meat of the game. It is, sort of, in that you, as the Master, are calling all the shots. But your Master doesn't have a lot of traits and customization.

Maybe this is me coming from the MoM camp. I haven't played any flavor of HoMM. Your Wizard/Master is your Character in MoM. You pick their spellbooks and their retorts and the race they are running. You can pick female wizards and it's all cool.

So from my perspective your Character(s) in Eador are the Heroes. You pick their equipment how they progress with their skills. I'd consider them more 'mine' that my Master. Besides, I know you can pick a female Master avatar (There is all of what, one or two?), but you almost never see that portrait in any meaningful way, and you certainly don't get to use it in the campaign.

Surprisingly, I can't muster the urge to care about "social lift". I don't much get offended if women are treated as chattel, or sexy sacrifice fodder, or scantily clad and glommed on to some McMuscle Man Hero's leg in a game. Not in this type of setting. Most fantasy games have a certain assumption of a hmm..."less enlightened" time with regards to social equality. And that's fine by me! It'd be weird if just because I play a female hero we had to throw out all of these genre conventions. I know these conventions offend some, but not me. And any potential dissonance for playing a female Hero/Commander in a game with those assumption causes me no grief.

More briefly said: Wenches for all my friends!

Okay, maybe I'm not a mature gamer. Fine!

I don't know about the mod, or the translation, but I thought that Genesis was translated pretty well.

P.S. Man, I wish this forum had a Preview Post option.

This was due to really hot discussions around illustrations for these books and this cardgame.

As for translation - I mean that it shouldn't be very hard to teach translated version of the game to treat player as woman character. Like "mistress and lady" instead of "master and lord".