I realize that a lot probably still needs balancing , but I'd thought i point out that mana seems to need it bad.  In my current game, it is season 205 and I have just under 1000 mana already (889, was as high has 950 before I started casting every spell I had on my cities just to burn up the extra mana - which is still accumulating at 10 per turn).  This abundance of mana, combined with the "mana blast" spell, now makes me virtually unbeatable on the battlefield.  I am literally one hit, one killing everything on the map.  Shame, because it has now basically ruined my game.  Oh well, that's a beta. 

Other notes: 

* Performance is pretty bad in the build.  I didn't have any problems in the last beta, but this one feels really clunky when it comes to zooming the map or watching units move.

* I hope there will be more combat sound FX in the final game.  Right now, it is mostly a collection of grunts and moans.  Really kills that epic feeling.  I want to hear the clang of sword on sword, or the thunk of a axe against a shield.  FE definitely needs to kick things up a notch in the combat FX department.

*  Could we slow down the movement animations on the tactical map?  It just seems really silly to me to see units fly across the map like they do.  Reminds me of Dominions 3 sprite-based graphics - which would be a waste of the FE graphics engine.  Slow it down.  Let us watch our units deliberately march into battle rather than zip across the field like somebody has their finger on fast forward.  I realize some people might like it faster, so why not just add a half speed setting?

Otherwise, this beta shows definite improvement.  Some nice stuff added and definitely a step in the right direction.