Dominions 4

[Huw the Poo]

If you've played Dom3 you'll have no problem with Dom4.  Although the better game, it isn't any more complex and the UI is better.  If you've any interest at all, give it a shot.

[W8taminute]

How hard is Dom 4 to get into? Interested but I have no Dom 4 exp... Everything I know is from 3 and even that is limited

Dominions 4 is not a very hard game to get into if you're a veteran TBS gamer.  Running your empire and managing your armies is pretty self explanatory.  Actually it's quite easy.  All you really do is spend money to build troops than organize them into squads which are under the command of a general/mage/creature etc.  The center of the game is around this.  Building your character(s) and outfitting them with magic and/or non magic gear. 

Then as far as building your infrastructure is concerned there is not much to do there, but for good reason.  You only need to concern yourself where where you will place one of the following type structures:  Fortresses, temples, and laboratories.  Fortresses collect bonus income from the surrounding provinces you normally would not get.  Temples help spread your 'dominion' throughout the world.  High dominion influence in a province you don't own helps you to conquer it easier when you do invade it.  Laboratories allow you to build items, distribute gems to your units, and unlock certain recruitable units.

Single player should not take someone too long to get into and do fairly well in at the lower difficulties.  Multiplayer is a dangerous place for any newcomer to the game.  The reason is the myriad spells and summons you must research and use in appropriate combinations.  Those who have done so are unstoppable in multiplayer and get bored playing single player.  The researching and understanding how the spells work is the real core of the game.  It is also the most complex and the tech tree overview is not easy to read at a glance.  You must invest a lot of time doing old fashioned studying of walls of text in order to figure out what spells you need to research.  If you can't do that well you will be steam rolled in multiplayer and thrashed about fairly well in single player at normal or above difficulties.

[Huw the Poo]

Yep, what W8 says is precisely so.  Many multiplayer opponents know the magic system frighteningly well.  You can send a strong army against them, and because they know of one simple spell that you happen to be vulnerable to, and have planned for it, they can obliterate the entire army with a small cadre of wizards before you can even get in range.  It's frustrating.  The only counter is to learn how magic works, thoroughly, or play against eternal noobs like me. :)

[jamus34]

yeah I have 4 but just never got around to playing it...I have some experience with 3.

Maybe I'll give MP a shot...only thing that can happen is I embarrass myself ;)

[Huw the Poo]

Sign up for the possible multiplayer Grogheads game.  There are some experts around here, but there are definitely some noobs too.  Could be fun!

[Yskonyn]

I am in too. :) Its been a while since I last played Dominions.

[Yskonyn]

Did this fizzle before we got started?  8)

[Huw the Poo]

Not much you can do about not having enough players.  I'd prefer it fizzled now than half way through a game.